The damage-dealing hero Echo has arrived in Overwatch. Like a Mercy who has ripped up her Hippocratic Oath, she glides around the map blasting away with her robot gunhands. Or maybe she’s more like a Pharah that’s way more manoeuvrable? Oh no, she just turned into a Roadhog. What have you done, Blizzard?
I’ve played Receiver 2 for all of 20 minutes, and my heart is ready to vacate my mouth. The sequel to 2013’s tense and fiddly roguelike is out, and it is immediately electrifying. It’s about crawling over dark rooftops punctured by the ominous blue of murder turrets, while screaming at guns that demand you press a gazillion buttons before they fire.
The more I play of Valorant, the more my respect for it increases. Riot are onto something good with their hybrid of CS:GO and Overwatch, and I’m not just saying that because of this video where I kill an entire enemy team by myself.
The first Neverwinter Nights gets a lot of attention, and rightly so because it is one of the best games ever. But you know what’s a really bloody decent game? Neverwinter Nights 2.
When the WD Blue SN500 came out last year, it went straight into my best gaming SSD list thanks to its low price and great read and write speeds. It was the perfect SSD for those on a budget, but the one thing it lacked was a cheap 1TB model. Thankfully, WD have rectified this for the latest version of its budget-friendly gaming SSD, the Blue SN550.
Available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB sizes, the Blue SN550 is even better than its predecessor, improving on its already nippy random write speeds and strengthening its ability to deal with heavy workloads. It’s such good value, in fact, that you’re probably better off buying this than literally every other SSD on the planet right now – including cheap SATA drives. Here’s wot I think.
Matt and Nate have been playing Ancient Enemy, a singleplayer card battler that looks a lot like a murderous version of Majhong, with a dash of Slay The Spire. It’s made by Shadowhand developers Grey Alien Games, and also RPS founder Jim Rossignol, but let’s not talk about him.
Nate: “Uno, but the Banner Saga”. That’s my take. It’s a game about knocking cards off a big pile, based on which ones have numbers one lower or higher than the one you’re holding. But you’re a depressed, tired wizard.
I booted up the preview build of Old World expecting a game much like something from the Civilization series. Probably not unreasonably, given that lead designer Soren Johnson is well known as having been co-designer on Civ III, and then lead designer on Civ IV, before starting his own studio, Mohawk Games, in 2013. And for sure, this game, which is about founding and growing an ancient empire, certainly looks the part. There’s hexes, and cities, and goats and crabs and the like scattered around the map, along with groups of spearmen towering above the trees.
But by the end of my first turn, I realised Old World was not a Civilization game at all, despite its looks. Which left a pretty major question: what was it? Scratching my head over the next hour, I saw elements of Crusader Kings-style “grand roleplaying”, resource-based cost/benefit calculations familiar from economic strategy games, and choice-based narrative elements familiar from interactive fiction games, all built onto a familiar 4X structure. In the end, after a few more hours of “one more turn” (it’s taken that much from Civ, at least), I could only conclude that Old World is entirely its own thing. And I like it very much.
The lack of an SDK hasn’t stopped people from working on mods for Half-Life: Alyx. We’ve already had one this week that sort of lets you play the game without VR. Today, I discovered XenThug, a horde mode map that throws an ever-growing number of Half-Life enemies at your face. I’d be playing it right now if I weren’t writing this.
Fancy a follow-up game to XCOM 2? Well you’re in luck, because there’s one coming out next Friday. 2K Games surprised everyone today by announcing a new spin-off, XCOM: Chimera Squad – it’s not a proper sequel, but a shorter standalone story set after the events of XCOM 2.
It’s bringing a bunch of new and improved features to the series – like letting you select your squad from 11 agents each with their own personalities, and an update to the turn-based combat to make encounters more “intense and unpredictable”.
I’ve spent countless hours fiddling with Minecraft’s player-made shaders, trying to illuminate my builds with blinding lights to distract from their overall shonkiness. Mojang’s first step into making that sort of rendering official is coming this Thursday, bringing global illumination, shiny reflections, and more. There are a couple of requirements, however.
Appalachia is still a lovely place to pitch up a tent, but after the bombs fell in Fallout 76, it’s not at its best. Still, you have to make do and rebuild where possible. Your handy tool for all your building needs is the “C.A.M.P.” or the “Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform” (henceforth abbreviated to CAMP).
This allows you to make your base of operations, as long as it’s on a flat surface and not anywhere near established buildings, and gives you the best place to make items, repair items, and even store all that junk you’ve picked up all around Appalachia. (more…)
Sometimes I worry that open world survival sims are romanticising the very real challenges involved in carving out a nomadic existence on a planet that’s stopped rotating by constructing elaborate wooden spider-cars and captaining them across vast deserts, forming clans and trading limited resources to take control of the world’s remaining oases.
When the world eventually does stop turning, I fear that this generation, spoon-fed by games that promised delightful escapism to survivalist playgrounds, will in fact be ill-equipped for the harsh reality of repeatedly punching cactuses until their pockets fill up with cactus flesh.
A geiger counter measures a radiation level at a site of fire burning in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, outside the village of Rahivka, Ukraine. A huge forest fire in Ukraine that has been raging for more than a week is now just one kilometer from the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant and poses a radiation risk, Greenpeace Russia warned on Monday, citing satellite images. Picture taken April 5. REUTERS/Yaroslav Yemelianenko
NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has officially protested an article published on a Chinese website that questioned Kazakhstan's territorial integrity.
The ministry said on April 14 that it "held talks with the Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan, Zhang Xiao, during which the ministry protested against the publication of an article on the website sohu.com in China titled 'Why Is Kazakhstan Eager To Get Back to China?'"
The article's author wrote that Kazakhstan is located on territories that historically belong to China.
WNU Editor: This article is playing to a Chinese audience, not to an audience in Kazakhstan. And it is being used by Chinese officials to promote the perception that everyone wants to be a part of China. Truth be told. No one wants to be a part of China.
Armed men boarded a vessel at anchor in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.
"The vessel is now reported to be at anchor approx. 3nm (nautical miles) off Ras Al Kuh, in the vicinity of 25-48N 057-14E," the emailed advisory notice said.
UKMTO added it was monitoring the situation and advised all vessels in the vicinity to stay vigilant and to report any incidents.
We break down how modern torpedo attacks really go down and the types of torpedoes that are used to sink ships and other submarines.
Most modern submarine-launched torpedoes are dual-purpose, meaning they are able to sink a ship or submarine, but they have different characteristics and methods for achieving those goals. Single-purpose torpedoes have a very specific method of attack and can be difficult to evade. In this article, we will cover the capabilities of both kinds of submarine-launched torpedoes and how they actually work, which is very different than what you have probably seen in the movies.
Modern submarine torpedoes come in two variants: thermal and electric. Thermal torpedoes use a fuel, such as OTTO Fuel II, which can be burned without an external oxygen source. A gas turbine or axial piston engine converts this fuel into torque that spins counter-rotating propellers, propelling the torpedo up to speeds in excess of 60 knots. Higher speeds can be achieved if Hydroxylammonium Perchlorate (HAP) is injected during fuel combustion. A HAP boost gives thermal torpedoes a speed advantage over electric torpedoes.
A handout still image from a video footage made available July 2018 by the Russian Defensc Ministry on its official YouTube page shows the Russian Avangard hypersonic strategic missile system equipped with a gliding hypersonic manoeuvring warhead [Russian Defence Ministry Press Service)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to discuss hypersonic missiles and other arms control issues with the United States as part of wider discussions about strategic stability, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Cold War-era arms control agreements have been in jeopardy as Russia's relations with the West have soured in recent years.
In August 2019, the United States pulled out of a landmark strategic arms accord, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), citing Russian non-compliance.
Both countries are developing hypersonic missiles to expand their defence capabilities, with Russian President Vladimir Putin overseeing a test in Crimea in early January.
WNU Editor: Not going to happen. The priority in the U.S. right now is the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The last thing on anyone's mind in Washington is to have arms control discussions with Russia.
* The U.S. will suspend funding to the World Health Organization while it reviews the agency's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced. * It's unclear exactly what mechanism Trump intends to use to withhold WHO funding, much of which is appropriated by Congress.
The U.S. will suspend funding to the World Health Organization while it reviews the agency's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, saying the international health agency made mistakes that "caused so much death" as the coronavirus spread across the globe.
"Today I'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump said at a White House press conference.
WNU Editor: I understand that people are angry at the World Health Organization. WHO failed at the beginning in red-flagging this illness. They trusted China's narrative on this virus when they should not have. It's treatment of Taiwan during this pandemic has been (and continues to be) reprehensible. And it was only on March 11 that they declared a pandemic even though it was clear two weeks before that this was a very infectious disease that had spread throughout the world. But IMHO its money should not be halted. It is the only international organization that exists to confront this pandemic. And while this organization does deserve a clean-up, the time is not now to conduct a purge.
Russia's coronavirus outbreak is deteriorating and its new cases are getting more severe, President Vladimir Putin warned Monday as the country reported its highest day-to-day spike in infections to date.
Russia has reported 18,328 overall coronavirus cases and 148 total deaths, making it the world's 15th most-affected country as of Monday.
"We see that the situation is changing almost daily and, unfortunately, not for the better," Putin said at a video conference with health officials.
"The number of people who are getting sick is increasing, with more cases of severe illness," he told three federal officials and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who is overseeing Russia's coronavirus task force.
Moscow, with 11,513 confirmed cases, accounts for an overwhelming majority of Russia's Covid-19 infections.
President Trump, with the support of Congress, is poised to preside over an unprecedented explosion of government spending that already is set to shatter deficit records and could grow further if plans for more coronavirus relief bills -- nearing a potential total price tag of $5 trillion -- become reality.
Even accounting for inflation, no modern administration has seen such levels of spending, covering everything from FDR's New Deal to recession-era rescues in the early part of the Obama administration.
The national debt itself already tops $24 trillion. As it stands, the 2020 deficit (the annual budget shortfall) is poised to break the record for a single-year deficit previously set under former President Obama as the U.S. government deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, passing historically expensive economic stimulus bills in an effort to soften the blow of mandatory shutdowns for businesses and public life in general.
WNU Editor: How much the U.S. deficit will be this year is dependent on two things. The course of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and when will the U.S. government run out of money. If the pandemic is still running its course, and the U.S. government is out of money, you can take this prediction to the bank. The U.S. will lift all restrictions and quarantines, and will stimulate the economy to levels that we have never seen in our lifetime.
Gen. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, directly addressed 'rumor and speculation' that COVID-19 is a made-in-China weapon of war.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley on Tuesday said that the U.S. intelligence community has looked "hard" into rumors that the coronavirus had its origins in a Chinese biolab, not an open-air market as is widely believed.
"There's a lot of rumor and speculation in a wide variety of media, blog sites, etc.," Milley said. "It should be no surprise to you that we have taken a keen interest in that, and we have had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that."
"At this point it's inconclusive, although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural, but we do not know for sure," Milley said.
WNU Editor: The Pentagon may not know. But Chinese scientists at the South China University in China itself said two months ago that it did .... Did China Unleash A Bio-Weapon Upon The World? (April 5, 2020).
* The global economic hit from the coronavirus crisis will be far worse in the near term than the financial crisis, according to Goldman Sachs. * In the U.S., second-quarter activity likely dropped 35% while unemployment could hit 15%. * However, the recovery in the second half of the year could be stronger than anything the U.S. has seen.
The global economic hit from the coronavirus crisis will likely be four times worse than the financial crisis and the U.S. will see its highest unemployment rate since World War II, according to a Goldman Sachs forecast.
With most of the world's developing economies on a near total shutdown to try to stop the coronavirus spread, Goldman sees a second-quarter GDP decline of 11% from a year ago and 35% from the previous quarter on an annualized basis.
In the U.S., the headline unemployment rate should hit 15% "and even this understates the severity of the situation" as many workers will be sidelined and not looking for jobs amid an anticipated reopening of the economy. That will accompany a GDP decline in the U.S. of 11% from a year ago and 34% on a quarterly basis, both numbers also considerably worse than anything seen during the financial crisis in 2008.
WNU Editor: It all depends on the Covid-19 coronavirus, and what will it do in the coming months. If Covid-19 quickly tapers off in the next month or two and quarantines/lock-downs end, yes, I do expect a crazy economic boom. If the Covid-19 coronavirus continues to have the impact that it has for one more year, coupled with quarantines and lock-downs continuing, we can all forget about an economic boom, we will be facing a global economic depression that will last for a few years.
* China's exports fell 6.6% in March from a year ago, while imports slipped 0.9% in the same month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday. * Economists polled by Reuters had expected exports from China to fall 14% in March from a year ago, while imports were projected to fall 9.5% over the same period. * The country's March trade surplus was $19.9 billion, as compared to the $18.55 billion that economists polled by Reuters had expected.
China reported that its dollar-denominated exports and imports both fell from a year ago in March, but they were better than what economists had expected.
China's exports fell 6.6% in March from a year ago, while imports slipped 0.9% in the same month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected exports from China to fall 14% in March from a year ago, while imports were projected to fall 9.5% over the same period.
The country's March trade surplus was $19.9 billion, as compared with the $18.55 billion that economists polled by Reuters had expected.
WNU Editor: That Chinese trade surplus number is a surprise. I expected it to be near zero. But almost all of China's major customers are now shut down, and I doubt that they will be buying from China for the foreseeable future.
Head of the Unmanned and Small Combatants office, Rear Adm. Casey Moton, said the industry day was meant to, "stress the importance of the program to the fleet – they want it today, they need it today."
WASHINGTON: Unmanned underwater vehicles will scatter anti-submarine mines as a new way to protect US Navy ships at sea, part of a larger push to screen the fleet from increasingly sophisticated Chinese and Russian subs prowling the seas.
This marks an important shift in US naval warfare, as the head of the Navy's mine warfare division, Capt. Chris Merwin, outlined at a conference last year. "Basically we have Quickstrike mines, air-delivered dumb bombs, and we have a few submarine-launchable mines. That is what we have now," but "that is changing big time."
The future "of mining," Merwin said, will be [unmanned underwater vehicle] clandestinely-launched mines."
WNU Editor: The U.S. Navy has been behind in the development of unmanned systems when compared to the US Air Force. But it looks like they are trying to catch up.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the "Knighthawks" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, prepares to launch from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in support of Exercise Trident Juncture 18 U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adelola Tinubu
* Naval aviators have a very exciting but dangerous job, and Insider recently had the opportunity to talk to two seasoned aviators about one of the US Navy's most intense jobs: Flying off a moving aircraft carrier. * Lt. Cmdr. Matt Deppen, who has trapped on almost every aircraft carrier in the Navy, and Capt. J.J. Cummings, the commanding officer of the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford, talked to Insider about the thrills and the dangers of carrier take-offs and landings. * "There's no ride like it in the world," Cummings said. Deppen called catapulting off the ship "the most exciting roller coaster you will ever be on in your life."
The US Navy's carrier-based pilots are skilled aviators who have to be able to take off and land on a ship moving swiftly through the open ocean. Two experienced naval aviators recently talked to Insider about the thrills and the dangers of the job.
Fighters and other aircraft aboard the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are launched using steam catapults. The new Ford-class carriers use the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), a more advanced catapult system.
"Taking a cat shot is the most exciting roller coaster you will ever be on in your life," Lt. Cmdr. Matt Deppen, who has served for 11 years and trapped on every aircraft carrier in the Navy except the USS Ronald Reagan, told Insider.
On Monday, the Andersen Air Force Base, which is about 1,800 miles east of China, flexed its military strength with an elephant walk of at least a dozen aircraft from the US Navy and Air Force
* Air Force and Navy flexed military strength with elephant walk in Guam Monday * An elephant walk is a procession of military aircraft taxiing close in formation * Monday's display of force took place at the Andersen Air Force Base, which is about 1,800 miles east of China, with at least a dozen aircraft, including bombers * Procession came after China sent aircraft carrier and fighter jets near Taiwan
The United States put on a show of force with an 'elephant walk' of bombers on its Air Force base in Guam after China threatened Taiwan with an aircraft carrier and strike group over the weekend.
On Monday, the Andersen Air Force Base, which is about 1,800 miles east of China, flexed its military strength with at least a dozen aircraft from the US Navy and Air Force.
An elephant walk is a procession of military aircraft taxiing close in formation right before a minimum interval takeoff.
North Korea fired what appeared to be cruise missiles off its east coast and air-to-ground missiles from fighter jets into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, in muscle-flexing maneuvers on the eve of the late national founder's birthday and the South's general elections.
The surface-to-ship cruise missiles were fired northeastward from areas near its eastern coastal town of Munchon at around 7 a.m. during a time period of more than 40 minutes, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding they flew around 150 kilometers before splashing into waters off the east coast.
Along with the missile launches, the North also flew multiple Sukhoi-variant fighter jets above the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, and fired multiple anti-ground missiles into the East Sea, the JCS added.
Coronavirus has been labelled a pandemic but a handful of countries have not yet reported any cases.
In December 2019, the coronavirus was seemingly confined to China. But, a few weeks later, the virus, which causes the illness known as COVID-19, became a global pandemic.
The virus, which leads to a respiratory illness that can be transmitted from droplets of bodily fluids - such as mucus and saliva, has now been reported in at least 185 countries.
WNU Editor: I do not believe in the reporting that is coming form these three countries .... North Korea, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. As for the others. They will have the virus soon (if not already).
WNU Editor: Yesterday's media melt-down during the Coronavirus Task Force briefing at the White House was quite a sight to see (see above video). The complete Coronavirus Task Force briefing is below:
The video that got the media to react was this one (see below).
I have learned over the years that nothing gets the main stream media worked up is when their past reporting (that was wrong) is shown and pointed out publicly. And that was on full display yesterday. The labelling of President Trump's video by many in the media of their past errors, mistakes, and wrong reporting as propaganda was priceless.
But it was clear from yesterday's briefing that CBS reporter Paula Reid was looking for a fight when she went after Dr. Fauci.
Dr. Fauci got the angriest I've seen him in 35 years of watching him - going back to the AIDS epidemic - at the suggestion that he's saying and doing things he doesn't believe because he's forced to by Trump in order to keep his job:pic.twitter.com/KTU9lYs0nS
Update #1: The most important part of yesterday's briefing was how the PPE shortages that many are worried about has been addressed, and that there will be no shortages for front-line workers. This news impacts millions of lives, but was totally disregarded in yesterday's news reports.
Update #2: This commentator is 100% right .... No institution has failed the public worse than the news media during the COVID-19 pandemic (Becket Adams, Washington Examiner). Everyday I watch news conferences pertaining to the Covid-19 coronavirus from Canada, the U.K., Australia, and France. Questions are always focused on the Covid-19 crisis, and what are the government's policies and measures that will be taken. Usually at the end, at least in my case where I live in Canada, I have a good idea on what to expect in the coming days that will impact my life. White House press briefings are focused on gotcha questions and an anti-Trump narrative. This may be red meat for those who despise the President, but for everyone else this is useless, and it is only exposing the media's prejudices and biases.
Update: The latest analysis on medRxiv suggested that the rate of confirmed #COVID19 cases dropped significantly when the maximum temperature in a region reached 22.5 degrees celsius, indicating an important break point, in the light of the statistics from mid-to-late March. pic.twitter.com/V8cLZQmNOO
North Korea has fired several suspected cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea says. Despite worries about a possible coronavirus outbreak, North Korea has carried out a series of weapons tests amid stalled nuclear talks with the United States. https://t.co/eRrYJKKzNB
A ZOO in Germany has warned it will be forced to slaughter animals - and even feed some of them to others - in order to survive as it reels from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.
SAFETY fears at the Wuhan research lab studying coronaviruses in animals such as bats were raised two years ago, with warnings over a huge SARS-like outbreak.
COVID-19 evolved in humans as a result of people eating stray dogs which had in turn eaten infected bats, a controversial coronavirus study has claimed.
The Haryana Staff Selection has given the HSSC Syllabus 2020. The candidates who have applied for the exam and searching for the syllabus can now easily find the Haryana SSC Syllabus 2020 here. Also, you can find the HSSC Exam Pattern & Syllabus 2020 on our page. Refer to the updated HSSC Exam Syllabus & Test Pattern 2020 for Haryana Constable, Sub Inspector, Craft Instructor, Computer Instructor, Engineer Posts. You can also know more about the Haryana Staff Selection Commission Syllabus 2020 at www.hssc.gov.in.
Haryana SSC Syllabus 2020 Pdf
Candidates who are applying for the various posts under HSSC like Instructor, Welder, Excise & Taxation Inspector, Group 4 & all other posts can get here the complete details. So, go through the below links and start preparing your examination before its too late.
Dear Aspirants!! Here are the Syllabus and Exam Pattern details for the Haryana SSC TGT Job. Candidates who have applied for the HSSC TGT Recruitment and looking for the syllabus details to begin your preparation for the written examination in the upcoming months can find all details here. This section will help you to know about the exam pattern and syllabus topics. Examine the details updated in the below section and get ready for the written test.
HSSC TGT Recruitment 2020 Exam Syllabus Details
Name of the Organization
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC)
Post Name
Naib Tehsildar, TGT, Work Supervisor, Election Kanungo, Carpenter, Plumber, Surveyor, Painter, Mason, Electrician, Machine Tool Operator, Storekeeper, Inspector, Section Officer, Junior Mechanic, Accounts Clerk, Store Keeper, Laboratory Technician, Pharmacist and Other Posts
We have provided the HSSC exam pattern below. Candidates can check the entire HSSC Electrician syllabus below. There will be a written test conducted for the posts. The HSSC Work Supervisor written test will be for 90 marks and 10 marks will be allocated for Socio-economic criteria and experience. 75% of the questions will be asked from subjects like General Awareness, Reasoning, Maths, Science, Computer, English and Hindi. The remaining 25% questions will be asked from subjects like History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Environment and Culture of Haryana. Get the entire HSSC exam pattern details below. Get HSSC Previous Papers here.
Name of the Subject
Marks
Written Test (Subjects mentioned above)
90
Socio-Economic criteria and experience
10
Total
100
Haryana SSC Syllabus for TGT Exam 2020
Below is the entire syllabus that you need to be aware of while preparing for the HSSC exam 2020. You can also download the SSC Haryana Sample paper from the link below and save it for the future.
Organic chemistry-some basic principles and techniques and hydrocarbons
P-block elements – group 14 (carbon family)
Solutions
Surface chemistry
Thermodynamics
Chemical equilibrium and acids-bases
Hydrogen and its Compounds
Atomic structure
D and f block elements & coordination compounds
Classification of elements and periodicity in properties
Environmental chemistry
Biomolecules
Solid-state
States of matter: gasses and liquids
Chemistry in everyday life
Stoichiometry
General principles of metallurgy
Organic compounds containing c, h and o
P- block elements group 13 (boron family)
P-block elements
Chemical bonding and molecular structure
Electrochemistry and chemical kinetics
Haloalkanes and haloarenes
Polymers
Organic compounds containing nitrogen
HSSC Instructor Syllabus for Computer
MS Word, Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft Access
Introduction to Computer Science
Boolean Algebra
Computer Networks
Emerging Technologies and Web Publishing
PC Software and Office Automation
Database Management System
Data Structures
MS PowerPoint
MS Visio and MS Excel
Microsoft Outlook
The Internet
Workplace Productivity Tools
MS Project, Microsoft Publisher
www.hssc.gov.in Syllabus for English
Antonyms
Active and Passive Voice
Substitution
Sentence Improvement
Synonyms
Spelling Test
Substitution
Passage Completion
Idioms and Phrases
Sentence
Completion
Error Correction (Underlined Part)
Transformation
Prepositions
Sentence Arrangement
Fill in the blanks
Spotting Errors
Para Completion
Joining Sentences
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold)
HSSC Work Supervisor Syllabus for Hindi
प्रत्यय
समास
उपसर्ग और प्रत्यय
विपरीतार्थक शब्द
संधि तथा संधि-विच्छेद
अनेकार्थक शब्द
वाक्यों का वर्गीकरण (सरल, मिश्र तथा संयुक्त)
संज्ञा से अव्यय तक
समास
शुद्ध-अशुद्ध (शब्द शुद्धि, वाक्य शुद्धि)
भिन्नार्थक शब्द
वाक्यांश के लिए एक शब्द
संज्ञा, सर्वनाम और विशेषण आदी की मूलभूत समझ और इनके भेदों का ज्ञान
हिंदी भाषा का मूलभूत ज्ञान (स्वर, व्यंजन, रस)
मुहावरे और लोकोक्तियाँ
अनेक शब्दों के लिए एक शब्द
उचित शब्द से दिए गए रिक्त स्थान की पूर्ती
पर्यायवाची शब्द, विलोम शब्द, शब्द युग्म, लिंग परिवर्तन, वचन परिवर्तन आदी
वर्ण, वर्तनी और उच्चारण
वाक्य-क्रम व्यवस्थापन
रचना भाषा एवं व्याकरण
दिए गए वाक्यांशों को सही क्रम में व्यवस्थित करके एक अर्थपूर्ण वाक्य बनाना
उच्चारण स्थान
रिक्त स्थानों की पूर्ति
पर्यायवाची शब्द
वर्तनी सम्बन्धी अशुद्धियाँ
मुहावरे
उपसर्ग
HSSC TGT Haryanai Syllabus for History
Indian Culture
Early Structure of the British Raj
Themes in Early Indian Cultural History
Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas
British Expansion in India
European Penetration into India
Imperialism and Colonialism
Nation-State System
Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century
Modern Indian History
Economy and Society in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
Mauryan Empire
Early State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan and South India
Sources
Indian Response to British Rule
Cultural Traditions in India
Origins of Modern Politics
Enlightenment and Modern ideas
Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule
Industrialization
Society, Culture and Economy in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries
Origins of Modern Politics
Period of Mahajanapadas
Social and Cultural Developments
Indus Valley Civilization
Pre-history and Proto-history
Culture in the Mughal Empire
Aryans and Vedic Period
Megalithic Cultures
Early Medieval India
Post – Mauryan Period (Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, Western Kshatrapas)
Regional States during Gupta Era
Indian Freedom Struggle
History of the World
HSSC Instructor Syllabus for Current Affairs
Books & Authors
Finance
Science & Technology
Environment
Economy
Banking
Awards
Sports & General
Festivity
International Affairs
Current Events
Current Ministers & Governors
Business
Indian Financial System
Politics
Capitals & Currencies
Education
Government Schemes
Abbreviations and Economic Terminologies
Summits & Conferences, etc
Obituary
Talkies
HSSC TGT Syllabus for Geography
Geomorphology
Cartographic Techniques
Human Geography
Thematic Cartography
Climatology
Statistical Methods in Geography
Geography of India
Economic Geography
Environmental Geography
Field Work and Research Methodology
Regional Planning and Development
Remote Sensing and GIS
Political Geography
Hydrology and Oceanography
Social Geography
Evolution of Geographical Thought
Disaster Management based Project Work
Remote Sensing
Advanced Spatial Statistical Techniques
Geographical Information System
Research Methods
Population Geography
Resource Geography
Urban Geography
Geography of Health and Wellbeing
Disaster Management
Geography of Tourism
Spatial Information Technology
Regional Development
Climate Change: Vulnerability and Adaptation
Rural Development
Industrial Geography
Sustainable Development
HSSC Electrician Syllabus for Environment
Bio Diversity
Water Resource Degradation
Climate Change and Environment
Environemnt and Urbanization
Mining and Environment
Agriculture and Environement
Renewable Energy
Environmental impact assessment
Concept of Sustainable Development
HSSC Post Graduate Teacher Exam Syllabus
HSSC PGT Syllabus Details are updated here. People who are interested to take part in the HSSC Post Graduate Teacher Written Exam should download the HSSC Syllabus Pdf along with Exam Pattern from the direct links given in this section. Haraya Staff Selection Commission Authority will conduct the written examination on 8th March – 29th March 2020. Get ready for the HSSC PGT Exam 2020.
HSSC Syllabus 2020 is out for Constable & Sub Inspector posts!! Candidates who are going to give Haryana Staff Selection Commission Constable & SI Exam can download the complete updated Syllabus with Exam Pattern here. Aspirants are advised to check the below section of this page to find more details about HSSC Constable & SI exam 2020.
Good News for the Applicants who want to get settle under Haryana Government Jobs. Yes, What you heard is right. The Haryana Staff Selection Commission is releasing various vacancies for the Group C Posts i.e. Constable and Sub Inspector. Interested aspirants can apply for HSSC Careers. The applicant of HSSC Constable & SI must have basic knowledge of the Syllabus and Test Pattern. So, we people from recruitment.guru have updated the complete HSSC Constable & SI Syllabus along with Exam Pattern here. Job Seeker can get it for free of cost. Check related jobs like HSSC jobs in Employment News.
Haryana SSC Sub Inspector Syllabus 2020 – Overview
The Selection Process for HSSC SI & Constable Vacancies is provided below –
Written Examination (Knowledge Test)
Physical Screening Test (PST)
Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
Document Verification
HSSC Constable & SI Exam Pattern 2020
Sl No
Name of the Subject
No of Questions
Marks
1
General Studies
100
80 Marks
2
General Science
3
Current Affairs
4
General Reasoning
5
Mental Aptitude
6
Numeric Ability
7
Agriculture
8
Animal Husbandry
9
Other relevant fields/ trades etc.
The HSSC exam will be in Objective type.
The duration of the examination is 90 Minutes i.e. 1 1/2 hour
Each question will carry 0.80 Marks i.e. a total of 80 Marks
This exam consists of 100 Questions
The language of this question paper is bilingual i.e. English and Hindi respectively.
The Aspirants who are eagerly waiting to participate in Haryana Staff Selection Commission Constable and Sub Inspector exam can check the complete syllabus here. Without having proper knowledge of syllabus one cannot get a good score in the examination. Getting qualify in the examination boards like HSSC is not a simple task. We are advising to those applicants who are going to write this exam please go through this article to get notified of HSSC Constable and Sub Inspector Exam Syllabus and Exam pattern. Hence, we have updated all the HSSC Constable Important syllabus here. Contenders can download it at free of cost.
HSSC SI Syllabus 2020
HSSC Syllabus 2020 – General Studies
Geography
Economical Scenario in India
Indian Constitution
About Five years plans
Indian Culture
The Contribution of Haryana in the National Movement
History of India
Political Science
Constable & SI Syllabus for HSSC Exam 2020 – General Science
Principles
Technologies
The Earth
Chemistry
Techniques of Physics
Competency of Scientific Methodology
Haryana Staff Selection Commission SI Syllabus 2020 – Numerical Ability
HSSC Syllabus is available here for the Supervisor Examination 2020. Aspirants who are applied for the HSSC Supervisor posts and searching for Syllabus & Exam details, need not worry because we have provided here the entire details about HSSC Supervisor Exam. Get an idea by reading the below article and start the exam preparation for the Supervisor Post. For further details regarding HSSC Exam 2020 go through the below section
HSSC Gram Sachiv Syllabus Details are updated here. People who are willing to take part in the HSSC Gram Sachiv Written Exam must download the HSSC Syllabus along with Exam Pattern from the direct links disclosed on this page. Haraya Staff Selection Commission Authority will conduct the written examination on 12th January 2020. We have stated the syllabus details essential to prepare well for the examination. Scroll down to get further details
General Awareness, Reasoning, Maths, Science, Computer, English, Hindi, Concerned or relevant subject, as applicable
75%
History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Environment, Culture, etc. of Haryana
25%
Haryana HSSC Gram Sachiv Syllabus 2020
General Awareness
Indian History
Indian Culture & Heritage
Current Events – National & International
Indian Polity
Indian Constitution
Science & Technology
Indian Geography
IT & Space etc
Indian Economy
Reasoning:
Mirror Images
Grouping Identical Figures
Figure Matrix Questions
Problem on Age Calculation
Decision Making
Inference
Analogy
NonVerbal Series
Test of Direction Sense
Number Series
Alphabet Series
Arguments
Ven Diagram
Blood Relations
Coding and Decoding
Number Ranking
Arithmetical Reasoning
Mathematics:
Simple Equations
Quadratic Equations
Indices and Surds
Mensuration
Percentages
Areas
Time and Distance
Problems on Trains
Odd Man Out
Numbers and Ages
Pipes and Cisterns
Time and Work Partnership
Ratio and Proportion
Simple Interest
Probability
Averages
Problems on L.C.M and H.C.F
Problems on Numbers
Compound Interest
Volumes Profit and Loss
Races and Games
Mixtures and Allegations
Boats and Streams
Permutations and Combinations
Simplification and Approximation
General Science:
Natural Products and Drugs
Nuclear Chemistry
Chemical Kinetics and Thermodynamics
Organic reaction mechanism and Stereochemistry
Organometallic compounds, Bioinorganic chemistry, and Polymers
Electrochemistry
Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental methods
Poisons and Pesticides
Quantum Chemistry
English:
Antonyms
Active and Passive Voice
Substitution
Sentence Improvement
Synonyms
Spelling Test
Substitution
Passage Completion
Idioms and Phrases
Sentence
Completion
Error Correction (Underlined Part)
Transformation
Prepositions
Sentence Arrangement
Fill in the blanks
Spotting Errors
Para Completion
Joining Sentences
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold)
Social:
Nature of Indian Economy
Structural and Institutional features
Economic Underdevelopment
Opening the Indian Economy
Globalization
Economic Reforms in India
Privatization
Inflation
Trends in Inflation & their Impact on National Economy and Individual Income
Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation in India – Rural and Urban
Measurement of Poverty – Poverty Alleviation Programmes of the Government
Population Trends – Population Growth and Economic Development – Population Policy in India
Agriculture – Characteristics / Status – Technical and Institutional changes in Indian Agriculture
Agricultural performance
Issues in Food Security in India
Non-Institutional and Institutional Agencies in rural credit
Industry – Industrial and Labour Policy
Industrial performance
Regional Imbalance in India's Industrial Development -Public Sector Enterprises
Rural banking and financial institutions in India
Reforms in the Banking/ Financial sector
The globalization of Economy – Role of International Funding Institutions
IMF & World Bank
WTO
Regional Economic Co-operation
Social Structure in India – Multiculturalism – Demographic trends – Urbanisation and
Migration
Gender Issues Joint family system
Social Infrastructure
Education
Health and Environment
Education – Status & System of Education
Socio-Economic Problems associated with Illiteracy
Educational relevance and educational wastage
Educational Policy for India
Social Justice: Problems of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes – socio-economic programs for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and other backward classes
Positive Discrimination in favor of the underprivileged
The HSSC Group D Syllabus 2020 is updated below. However, the HSSC Group D Vacancies 2020 Online application is going to start from 29th August 2020. Hence, check out the HSSC Recruitment 2020 details before going to the Syllabus. Later, here is the HSSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern details for Group D Vacancies 2020. Also, check the Marks and other details in the HSSC Syllabus Pdf provided below. The Haryana Group D Recruitment 2020 is having a huge Vacancies. Hence, there will be a huge number of candidates going to apply, parallel there will be a Tuff competition for the written Examination. So, go through the HSSC Syllabus for Group 4 Exam 2020 Carefully and Start your Preparation.
The Haryana Staff Selection Commission Board is going to conduct the written Examination and Consider the Socio-Economic Criteria and Experience in the selection of candidates for Group 4 Vacancies. Hence, the applicants of Haryana Group 4 Vacancies 2020 are advised to check the Syllabus and Exam Pattern details in the table below. Later, don’t forget to download the HSSC Syllabus Pdf for Group 4 Exam 2020. For more details aspirants can visit the Official Haryana PSC Website.
Haryana Group 4 Recruitment is done for a total of 100 Marks. Where the written Exam is for 90 Marks and Socio-Economics and Experience is for 10 Marks. The HSSC written Exam Syllabus and Marks details are given below.
HSSC Syllabus & Exam Pattern – Group 4 Exam 2020
Sections
Subjects
Marks %
I
General Awareness
75 %
Reasoning
Maths
Science
English & Hindi
II
History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Economics, Culture Etc of Haryana
25%
Total
90 Marks
Questions Type – Objective Type Multiple Choice Questions.
90 Marks for written Test.
10 Marks for Socio-Economical & Experience.
For more details download the HSSC Syllabus Pdf below.
Furthermore, check the HSSC Previous Papers from the link below. Also, download free HSSC Group 4 Exam Question Papers with Solutions and Last 5 Years Previous Question Papers Pdf for free. Also, download HSSC Group D Admit Card from November 2nd from our HSSC Hall Ticket Page. All the best for your HSSC Group 4 Examination 2020.
Haryana SSC Syllabus for Fire Operator Cum Driver is updated here. Candidates who have applied for the 1646 Fire operator Cum driver posts can check the HSSC Fire Operator Syllabus and Exam Pattern here. Furthermore, you can also get the download links for Haryana SSC Fire Operator Syllabus and Test Pattern on this page.
Haryana SSC Fire Operator Syllabus 2020 – Overview
Are you looking for HSSC Fire Operator Syllabus 2020 Pdf download links? If yes, here it is. In this page, we have given the direct links to download the Haryana SSC Fire Operator Syllabus and Test Pattern in the Pdf format. Check the HSSC Syllabus 2020 for Fire Operator Cum Driver post here.
HSSC Exam Syllabus 2020 for General Knowledge
Geography.
Indian History.
Indian Economy.
Artists.
Sports.
Famous Places in India.
Famous Books & Authors.
Rivers, Lakes, and Seas.
Biology.
Countries and Capitals.
Indian Parliament.
Tourism.
Famous Days & Dates.
General Science.
Heritage.
Inventions and Discoveries.
Literature.
Civics.
Environmental Issues.
Indian Politics.
Current Affairs.
Haryana SSC Syllabus 2020 for English
Sentence Improvement.
Fill in the blanks.
Joining Sentences.
Substitution.
Error Correction (Underlined Part).
Idioms and Phrases.
Active Voice and Passive Voice.
Sentence Arrangement.
Passage Completion.
Antonyms.
Synonyms.
Sentence Completion.
Spotting Errors.
Para Completion.
Error Correction (Phrase in Bold).
Prepositions.
HSSC Fire Operator Exam Syllabus 2020 for Aptitude
Volume and Surface Area.
Races and Games.
Simple Interest.
Probability.
Surds and Indices.
Square Root and Cube Root.
Ratio and Proportion.
Permutation and Combination.
Decimal Fraction.
Height and Distance.
Pipes and Cistern.
Average.
Time and Distance.
Numbers.
Boats and Streams.
Allegation or Mixture.
Chain Rule.
Simplification.
Logarithm.
Stocks and Share.
Area.
Partnership.
Problems on H.C.F and L.C.M.
Banker's Discount.
Compound Interest.
Time and Work.
Problems on Ages.
Haryana SSC Driver Syllabus 2020 for Reasoning
Analogy.
Decision Making.
Arithmetical Reasoning.
Blood Relations.
Directions.
Syllogism.
Number Series.
Coding-Decoding.
Alphabet Series.
Cubes and Dice.
Embedded Figures.
Data Interpretation.
Clocks & Calendars.
Statements & Arguments.
Non-Verbal Series.
Embedded Figures.
Clocks & Calendars.
Number Ranking.
Statements & Conclusions.
Mirror Images.
HSSC Fire Operator Syllabus 2020 Pdf – Download here
The HSSC Excise Inspector Syllabus along with Exam Pattern available. Download HSSC Syllabus PDF for Excise and Taxation Inspector Examinations. You may also visit the Official website www.hssc.gov.in for more Haryana SSC Exam Updates.
Haryana SSC Craft Instructor Exam syllabus 2020 is available here for free. Candidates who have applied for the Job are now searching the HSSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2020. For those applicants, we have provided the HSSC Syllabus and test pattern. Also, It will help you a lot in preparing for the upcoming HSSC Exam 2020.
Socioeconomic, Political and Cultural History of Modern India with special emphasis on
Indian Constitution; Indian Political System; Governance and Public Policy.
Logical Reasoning; Analytical Ability and Data Interpretation.
Movement and formation of the Haryana state.
Indian National Movement.
Current Affairs – Regional, National, and International.
Society, Culture, Heritage, Arts and Literature of Haryana.
International Relations and Events.
Social and Economic Geography, Physical and Demography of Haryana, and
Environmental issues; Disaster Management- Prevention and Mitigation Strategies.
Reasoning
Logical Games.
Statements and Assumption.
Number Series.
Blood Relations.
Analyzing Arguments.
Logical Problem.
Statement and Conclusion.
Theme Detection.
Verbal Reasoning.
Letter and Symbol Series.
Making Judgment.
Matching Definitions.
Verbal Classification.
Logical Deduction.
Analogies.
General English
Transformation.
Para Completion.
Joining Sentences.
Antonyms.
Synonyms.
Spotting Errors.
Spelling Test.
Sentence.
Error Correction.
Idioms and Phrases.
Fill in the blanks.
Sentence Arrangement.
Active and Passive Voice.
Prepositions.
Substitution.
Improvement.
Aptitude
Multiplication.
Weight.
Division.
Data Handling.
Time.
Decimal Fractions.
Measurement.
Shapes & Spatial.
Understanding.
Numbers.
LCM & HCF.
Pedagogical Issue.
Geometry.
Money.
Patterns.
Volume.
Addition and Subtraction.
HSSC Computer Instructor Syllabus 2020
Haryana SSC Computer Instructor Exam syllabus 2020 is available here for free. Candidates who have applied for the Job are now searching the HSSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2020. For those applicants, we have provided the HSSC Syllabus and test pattern. Therefore Haryana SSC Instructor Syllabus helps you best in the preparation.
Haryana SSC Exam syllabus 2020 is available here for free for the posts of Instructor, Welder, Store Keeper, Electrician Instructor, Librarian & Other. Candidates who have applied for the Job are now searching the Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2020. For those applicants, we have also provided the complete Syllabus and test pattern. It will help you a lot in preparing for the upcoming HSSC Exam 2020.
HSSC Exam Syllabus Details 2020
Name of the Board
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC)
Name of the Posts
Instructor, Welder, Store Keeper, Electrician Instructor, Librarian & Other Posts
Number of Vacancies
2641 Vacancies
Category
Syllabus
Official Website
www.hssc.gov.in
Recently, HSSC has released various vacancies as mentioned above that will be recruited on Direct Recruitment of 1007 Vacancies, On Contract Basis 773 Vacancies and for Turner Instructor, Electrician Instructor & Other of 861 Vacancies i.e. a total of 2641 Vacancies. For more details go through the HSSC Jobs 2020 given.
Socioeconomic, Political and Cultural History of Modern India with special emphasis on
Indian Constitution; Indian Political System; Governance and Public Policy.
Logical Reasoning; Analytical Ability and Data Interpretation.
Movement and formation of the Haryana state.
Indian National Movement.
Current Affairs – Regional, National, and International.
Society, Culture, Heritage, Arts and Literature of Haryana.
International Relations and Events.
Social and Economic Geography, Physical and Demography of Haryana.
Environmental issues; Disaster Management- Prevention and Mitigation Strategies.
Reasoning
Logical Games.
Statements and Assumption.
Number Series.
Blood Relations.
Analyzing Arguments.
Logical Problem.
Statement and Conclusion.
Theme Detection.
Verbal Reasoning.
Letter and Symbol Series.
Making Judgment.
Matching Definitions.
Verbal Classification.
Logical Deduction.
Analogies.
General English
Transformation.
Para Completion.
Joining Sentences.
Antonyms.
Synonyms.
Spotting Errors.
Spelling Test.
Sentence.
Error Correction.
Idioms and Phrases.
Fill in the blanks.
Sentence Arrangement.
Active and Passive Voice.
Prepositions.
Substitution.
Improvement.
Aptitude
Multiplication.
Weight.
Division.
Data Handling.
Decimal Fractions.
Measurement.
Shapes & Spatial.
Understanding.
Numbers.
LCM & HCF.
Pedagogical Issue.
Geometry.
Volume.
Addition and Subtraction.
General Knowledge
Awards.
History GK.
National & International Days.
Geography of General Knowledge.
Sports.
Latest current affairs.
Events.
HSSC JE Syllabus 2020
Haryana SSC Junior Engineer Exam syllabus 2020 is available here for free. Candidates who have applied for the Job are now searching the HSSC Junior Engineer Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2020. For those applicants, we have provided the updated syllabus and test pattern details. Therefore, it will help you a lot in preparing for the upcoming HSSC Exam 2020.
Haryana Jr Engineer Exam 2020 – Overview
Description
Details
Organization Name
Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC)
Post Name
Junior Engineer
Vacancies
1624
Category
Syllabus
Official Website
www.hssc.gov.in
The selection of the candidate is based on written exam and Socio-Economic criteria & experience.
Detailed Haryana SSC Jr Engineer Syllabus
Haryana SSC JE Exam Pattern 2020 – HSSC Jr Engineer Syllabus
Name of the Subjects
Weightage
Total Marks
General Awareness, Reasoning, Maths, Science, Computer, English, Hindi & Relevant Subject
75%
90
History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Civics, Environment, Culture, etc.
25%
The exam will be of Objective type questions.
The written exam will be for 90 marks and rest 10 marks for Socio-Economic Criteria & Experience.
Haryana SSC Junior Engineer Syllabus
General Studies and General Abilities
Current Affairs – Regional, National & International.
Social Exclusion; Rights issues such as Gender, Caste, Tribe, Disability etc.and inclusive policies.
Environmental Issues; Disaster Management- Prevention and Mitigation Strategies and Sustainable Development.
Socio-economic, Political and Cultural History of Haryana.
Analytical Abilities: Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation.
Indian Constitution; Indian Political System; Governance and Public Policy.
General Science; India's Achievements in Science and Technology.
Economic and Social Development of India and Haryana.
Moral Values and Professional Ethics in Education.
Basic English.
General Abilities
Number Series.
Analogies.
Coding-Decoding.
Number Ranking.
Judgement.
Non/Verbal Series.
Directions.
Embedded Figures.
Mirror Images.
Arrangements.
Clocks & Calendars.
Decision Making.
Blood Relations.
Syllogistic Reasoning.
Problem Solving.
Cubes and Dice.
Visual Memory.
Alphabet Series.
Arithmetical Reasoning.
General English
School Level English Grammar: Articles, Tense, Noun & Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Verbs, Modals, Subject-Verb Agreement, Non-Finite, Reported Speech, Degrees of Comparison, Active and Passive Voice, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Conditionals.
Vocabulary: Synonyms and Antonyms, Phrasal Verbs, Related Pair of Words, Idioms and Phrases, Proverbs.
Words and Sentences: Use of Words, Choosing Appropriate Words and Words often Confused, Sentence Arrangement, Completion, Fillers and Improvement, Transformation of Sentences, Comprehension, Punctuation, Spelling Test, Spotting of Errors.
HPCL Question Paper for Engineer, Finance, Human Resource, Information Systems and Legal is available here to download. Aspirants may check Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Rajasthan Refinery Limited Solved Papers here. Download HPCL Model Papers along with Answers. Also, get Study Material, Preparation tips in addition to HPCL HRRL Old Question Papers. Here you will get the complete information of the Rajasthan HPCL Previous Papers. Solving previous papers can help you to prepare well for the exams.
HPCL HRRL Previous Papers with Answers Pdf
Download the Rajasthan HPCL Old Question papers pdf from our site. We have provided the HRRL HPCL Previous Papers in the Pdf format. Therefore, the applicants can download the HRRL HPCL Exam Solved papers easily and quickly. Just click on the below links, to get the Rajasthan HPCL Previous Papers PDF. Applicants can also check the HRRL HPCL Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern provided below. Therefore Applicants can refer to subject wise Solved Papers which are helpful to get your dream job.
Read further for HRRL HPCL Syllabus and exam pattern details for Engineer, Finance, Human Resource, Information Systems and Legal. Check the details and later download the HPCL Sample Paper and start preparing for the written exam.
HPCL HRRL Exam Pattern 2020
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Rajasthan Refinery Limited recruitment board is going to conduct the written examination in Rajasthancoming months. Hence, we have given exam pattern, syllabus, exam date and other details related to the exam along with previous papers that would help in the preparation of the exam. So, check the exam pattern & topics details in the table given below.
The HPCL exam pattern is given in detail below. There will be a computer based test conducted. The exam will be in two parts. The subjects in the first part are Reasoning and Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and English Language. The subjects in the second part are Technical/ Professional Knowledge. Each subject will be conducted for 40 marks each. The total duration of the HPCL HRRL exams will be 2 hours in total. Check the details below for more information. The direct links for HPCL sample papers are given below for you to download for free and prepare well.
HPCL HRRL Exam Paper Pattern 2020
Subject Name
Marks
Duration
Part 1 – Reasoning and Data Interpretation
40 Marks
2 Hours
Part 1 – Quantitative Aptitude
40 Marks
Part 1 – English Language
40 Marks
Part 2 – Technical/ Professional Knowledge
40 Marks
Total
160 Marks
HPCL Rajasthan Previous Year Question Paper Pdf
Candidates who are in search of HPCL HRRL Previous Year Question Paper for Engineer, Finance, Human Resource, Information Systems and Legal posts written test can get it here. The direct download links for free pdf are given in the table below. Just by clicking on the links applicants can refer and download the HRRL Exam Model Question Paper Pdf.
Refer all the HPCL Exam Study material given below. Aspirants should practice more for scoring good marks. Here we have provided previous papers for candidates who want to prepare for the HRRL HPCL exam. By preparing well you can secure very good marks in the exam. You can find the direct link here to download the HPCL Medical Officer model papers. These papers are as per the exam pattern making it easier for candidates to prepare. Download the subject wise old question papers of HRRL HPCL exam below.
HPCL HRRL Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
Subject
Previous Paper
HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Engineer Sample Paper for Reasoning
Candidates, please remember that the papers that are given above for HPCL Medical Officer are previous papers/ sample papers only. They are only for reference use.
HPCL Exam Question Paper for Assistant (Process, Maintenance, Boiler) Technician and Fire Operator is available here. Aspirants who appearing for the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) written test can get the previous year question paper pdf here. Also, check the exam pattern details for the written test in the article below. Interested aspirants can visit the official website of HPCL for more details.
HPCL Exam Question Paper Pdf
HPCL Exam Question Paper for Assistant Process Technician and other posts is available below. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has recently given the recruitment notification for various Assistant, Fire Operator & other posts. Hence, if you are one who applied for the vacancy then come let’s check the HPCL question paper and written test pattern details and start preparation.
The HPCL previous year question papers help the applicants in understanding how the exam paper is going to be. Also helps in analyzing the way questions are going to ask in the written test paper. Hence, to make it easy for those who are looking for HPCL exam papers pdf, we provided the direct link for model paper and HPCL practice test 2020.
Previous Year Question Papers of HPCL Exam Details
HPCL is allowing the applicants of Assistant and Fire Operator vacancy to download admit card 2020. Candidates can find the exact HPCL exam date 2020 on their admit card. However, download the admit card online and practice the HPCL exam model question paper pdf given below.
HPCL Written Test Paper Pattern Details
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited is going to conduct the Computer Based Test (CBT) for its applicants. However, the applicants can perform well in the written test are shortlisted for further rounds of selection.
Check the HPCL exam paper pattern details in the tabular section below. Also, find the topic wise syllabus details in our HPCL Syllabus page. Click on the link given below for HPSC Syllabus for Assistant Process Technician, Fire Operator & other Posts 2020.
Assistant & Fire Operator HPCL Exam Paper Pattern 2020
Part
Subject
I
General Aptitude Test
II
Technical/Professional Knowledge
Candidates who clear written are called for the Skill Test.
Find the complete details in our HPCL Syllabus page.
HPCL Previous Question Papers Pdf
The HPCL Question Paper for the post of Assistant Process Technician and other is having two parts. Where the part-I is going to have questions related to general aptitude. Part-II is going to have the questions on professional or technical knowledge. However, the applicants can download the HPCL exam previous year question papers with answers from the links. Also, we were given a direct link for free HPCL question paper pdf below. Moreover, a candidate can visit the official Hindustan Petroleum Limited Website for more details.
Download HPCL Exam Paper – Model Question Paper Pdf
Practice more HPCL exam paper for better understanding and preparation. Go for the practice test paper/mock test given above. These are the official HPCL links, hence aspirants can go for the test without any hesitation. Hope the details help you in cracking the HPCL exam 2020. For more details, aspirants can check the HPCL Careers page.
UP NRHM Previous Papers for Staff Nurse is available here to download. Aspirants may check National Health Mission, Uttar Pradesh Solved Papers here. Download UP NHM Model Papers along with Answers. Also, get Study Material, Preparation tips in addition to UP NRHM Old Question Papers. Here you will get the complete information of the Uttar Pradesh NRHM Previous Papers. Solving previous papers can help you to prepare well for the exams.
UP NRHM Previous Papers with Answers Pdf
Download the Uttar Pradesh NRHM Old Question papers pdf from our site. We have provided the NHM UP Previous Papers in the Pdf format. Therefore, the applicants can download the NHM UP Exam Solved papers easily and quickly. Just click on the below links, to get the Uttar Pradesh NRHM Previous Papers PDF. Applicants can also check the NHM UP Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern provided below. Therefore Applicants can refer to subject wise Solved Papers which are helpful to get your dream job.
UP NRHM Question Papers for Staff Nurse
Description
Details
Organization Name
National Health Mission, Uttar Pradesh
Name of the Post
IT Consultant, Administrative Assistant, State Legal Consultant, Senior LT IRL/ C & DST, State Consultant AES/ JE, State Data Manager AES/ JE, Finance Cum Logistic Consultant, Accountant, Admin cum Programme Assistance Division, Admin cum Programme Assistance District, ANM, Staff Nurse, and Other Posts
Read further for NHM UP Syllabus and exam pattern details for Staff Nurse. Check the details and later download the UP NHM Sample Paper and start preparing for the written exam.
UP NRHM Exam Pattern 2020 – Staff Nurse
National Health Mission (NHM), Uttar Pradesh recruitment board is going to conduct the written examination in upcoming months. Hence, we have given exam pattern, syllabus, exam date and other details related to the exam along with previous papers that would help in the preparation of the exam. So, check the exam pattern & topics details in the table given below.
The UP NHM exam pattern is given in detail below. There will be a written test conducted. The written test will be of objective type of multiple-choice questions. The subjects that the questions will be based on are Nursing, General English, General Knowledge and Reasoning. Check the details below for more information. The direct links for UP NHM sample papers are given below for you to download for free and prepare well.
UP NRHM ANM Exam Paper Pattern 2020
Subject Name
Exam Type
Nursing
Objective Type
General English
General Knowledge
Reasoning
NRHM UP Previous Year Question Paper Pdf
Candidates who are in search of UP NRHM Previous Year Question Paper for Staff Nurse and other posts written test can get it here. The direct download links for free pdf are given in the table below. Just by clicking on the links applicants can refer and download the NHM Exam Model Question Paper Pdf.
Refer all the UP NHM Exam Study material given below. Aspirants should practice more for scoring good marks. Here we have provided previous papers for candidates who want to prepare for NHM UP exam. By preparing well you can secure very good marks in the exam. You can find the direct link here to download the UP NHM Medical Officer model papers. These papers are as per the exam pattern making it easier for candidates to prepare. Download the subject wise old question papers of NHM UP exam below.
UP NRHM Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
Subject
Previous Paper
UP NHM Lab Technician Sample Paper for General English
Candidates, please remember that the papers that are given above for UP NHM Medical Officer are previous papers/ sample papers only. They are only for reference use. UP NRHM Previous Papers for Community Health Officer (CHO)is available here to download. National Health Mission, Uttar Pradesh is going to conduct the written examination for CHO post. Hence, aspirants who are going to appear for the NHM Exam can find the model question paper here.
UP NRHM Previous Papers Pdf
UP NRHM Previous Papers free download links for Community Health Officer is given in the article below. Before going to the model question papers go through the recruitment details given in the tabular column below.
Aspirants applied for the Community Health Officer (CHO) vacancies are going to have a written examination in upcoming months. Hence, we advise the applicants to refer all the UP NRHM CHO Exam Model Question Paper given in the below sections. Also, check the expected syllabus and exam pattern details given.
Read further for NHM Syllabus and exam pattern details for Community Health Officer. Check the details and later download the UP NHM Model Paper and start preparing for the written exam.
UP NHM Exam Pattern 2020 – Community Health Officer (CHO)
National Health Mission (NHM), Uttar Pradesh recruitment board is going to conduct the written examination in upcoming months. Hence, we have given exam pattern, syllabus, exam date and other details related to the exam along with previous papers that would help in the preparation of the exam. So, check the exam pattern & topics details in the table given below.
The selection of the candidate for UPNHM Community Health Officer (CHO) made purely on the basis of written exam, interview followed by document verification.
UP NHM Community Health Officer (CHO) Exam Paper Pattern 2020
Phase
No. of Questions
Exam duration
Phase 1
100
2 Hours
Phase 2
100
2 Hours
The exam will contain Objective type questions.
For topics & other details visit the official site i.e. upnrhm.gov.in
NRHM Previous Year Question Paper Pdf
Candidates who are in search of UP NRHM Previous Year Question Paper for Community Health Officer (CHO) written test can get it here. The direct download links for free pdf are given in the table below. Just by clicking on the links applicants can refer and download the NHM Exam Model Question Paper Pdf.
Refer all the UP NHM Exam Study material given below. Aspirants should practice more for scoring good marks. Concentrate more on the domain topics where most of the questions (80%) are going to be given the subject based. However, download UP NHM Solved Study Material and start your preparation.
Asst Public Health Officer, Account Officer, Deputy Collector, Asst Public Prosecutor, District Sports Officer, Asst Director / Sub Divisional AO, Scientific Officer
JPSC Previous Papers Pdf is available for free download. Aspirants may check Jharkhand Public Service Commission Solved Papers. Download JPSC Model Papers along with Answers. Also, get Study Material, Preparation tips in addition to JPSC Old Question Papers. Here you will get the complete information of the Jharkhand PSC Previous Papers. Solving previous papers can help you to prepare well for the exams.
JPSC Previous Papers with Answers
Download the Jharkhand Public Service Commission Old Question papers pdf from our site. We have provided the JPSC Previous Papers in the Pdf format. Therefore, the applicants can download the JPSC Exam Solved papers easily and quickly. Just click on the below links, to get the Jharkhand Public Service Commission Previous Papers PDF. Applicants can also check the JPSC Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern provided below. Therefore Applicants can refer to subject wise Solved Papers which are helpful to get your dream job.
JPSC Previous Year Model Exam Papers Pdf
Interested candidates who have applied for JPSC Recruitment can find all the model question papers here. The notification for this Medical Officer vacancy was released. Check out all the model papers and download them for free for JPSC exam 2020. This will help you prepare well and score good marks in your exams. We have provided a list of previous year question papers for you to practice, as the more you practice the more you can prepare. It will also help you to understand the structure of the exam, important topics, types of questions asked and other details that are important from exam point of view. For more details, read the sections in this article. You can also visit the official portal of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission.
JPSC Exam Practice Papers – Details
Description
Details
Organization Name
Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC)
Posts Name
Medical Officer (APO)
Category
Previous Papers
JPSC Exam Date 2020
Updated Soon
Job Location
Kolkata
Official website
www.jpsc.gov.in
Selection Process:
Written Test
Interview
Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Medical Officer Exam Pattern 2020
The entire details of the JPSC exam 2020 is given under this topic. It includes details like Subject name, Number of Questions, Marks allotted etc.
JPSC Exam Pattern
The JPSC exam pattern is given in detail below. There will be a written test conducted. The written test will consist of 4 papers. Each paper will be conducted for 100 marks each. The JPSC MO Interview will be conducted for 40 marks. The written exam will be of objective types and have multiple-choice questions. Check the details below for more information. The direct links for JPSC sample papers are given below for you to download for free and prepare well.
JPSC Syllabus for Computer Based Test
Paper
Subject Name
Marks
Paper 1
General Medicine
100 Marks
Paper 2
Children Disease Children Welfare and Family Planning
40 Marks + 60 Marks
Paper 3
General Surgery Orthopaedic Surgery
60 Marks + 40 Marks
Paper 4
Eye ENT (Ear, Nose and Tongue) Gynaecology
25 Marks + 25 Marks + 50 Marks
Interview
–
40 Marks
Download JPSC Assistant Previous Year Question Papers Pdf
Here we have provided previous papers for candidates who want to prepare for JPSC exam. By preparing well you can secure very good marks in the exam. You can find the direct link here to download the JPSC Medical Officer model papers. These papers are as per the exam pattern making it easier for candidates to prepare. Download the subject wise old question papers of JPSC exam below.
Candidates, please remember that the papers that are given above for JPSC Medical Officer are previous papers/ sample papers only. They are only for reference use.
JPSC Previous Papers Pdf
JPSC Previous Papers are available on this page. An enormous number of aspirants are searching on the Internet for the Jharkhand Account Officer, Asst Public Health Officer, Deputy Collector, Public Prosecutor, District Sports Officer, Asst Director/ Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer, Scientific Officer Old Question Papers. The Jharkhand Public Service Commission had released the JPSC Recruitment notification for the vacancies of the above-mentioned posts.
Here we had come up with a collection of Jharkhand Public Service Commission AO Sample Papers along with respective Answer Keys. So, the interested applicants can refer to the JPSC Previous Papers for improving your performance levels. You can also get the PSC Account Officer & Others Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2020 from this article by tapping on the provided link. We are also updating the valuable info regarding the Jharkhand PSC Asst Engineer Solved Exam Papers. Our website recruitment.guru has provided the JPSC Jharkhand Account Officer Exam Model Papers with Answers for free of cost.
Asst Public Health Officer, Account Officer, Deputy Collector, Asst Public Prosecutor, District Sports Officer, Asst Director / Sub Divisional AO, Scientific Officer
The aspirants who had applied for the JPSC Recruitment 2020 can view the Jharkhand PSC APHO, AO & DC Syllabus & Exam Pattern. The table represents the Exam pattern of the Jharkhand PSC APHO exam of various posts. For detailed info regarding the JPSC AO Syllabus. Click on the below link to check the PSC Assistant Public Health Officer Syllabi & Paper Pattern 2020. Along with the JPSC Previous Papers verify the Syllabus and Exam pattern before going to attend the Written Examination.
JPSC Asst Public Health Officer Exam Pattern Pdf
Sl. No
Paper
Subjects
Max Marks
1
I
Medicine
100
2
II
a) Infant Disease
40
b)Preventive medicine and community health including child welfare and family planning
60
3
III
a)Surgical treatment
60
b)Orthopedic & Disabled Awareness
40
4
IV
a)Eyes
25
b)Nose, Ears and Throat
25
c)Obstetrics and Gynecology
50
Oral Exam
40
Jharkhand PSC Account Officer Test Pattern
Subjects
Marks
Duration
General Studies
50
2 Hours 30 Minutes
Accounts & Finance Commission
40
Business Mathematics
35
Accountancy & Costing
35
JPSC 6th Limited Deputy Collector Exam Paper Pattern 2020
Papers
Subjects
Marks
Paper 1
General Studies 1
100
Paper 2
General Studies 2
100
Paper 3
Post Concerned Subject
100
Jharkhand PSC Asst Public Prosecutor Exam Pattern
Paper I
General Hindi
100
Paper II
English
100
Paper III
Essay
100
Paper IV
General Studies
100
Paper V
Evidence & Criminal Procedure
200
Paper VI
Indian Constitutional law
200
Paper VII
Criminal Minor Acts
200
JPSC DSO Exam Pattern 2020 Pdf
Exam
Paper
Subjects
Marks
Written Test
I
General Theory & Methods of Sports Training
Sports Physiology
Sports Psychology
General Knowledge
General Science
Current Affairs
100 Marks
II
History & Laws of Game
Sports Management
Physical Education
100 Marks
Jharkhand PSC AD/Sub Divisional AO Exam Pattern – Click Here !!!
JPSC Scientific Officer (SO) Test Pattern Pdf
Exam Type
Subjects
Marks
Objective Type
Geology Paper 1
70
Geology Paper 2
60
Geology Paper 3
70
Total
200
Jharkhand PSC Previous Papers PDF Download
The applicants who are preparing for the Written Exam of Jharkhand Public Service Commission. The Jharkhand PSC APHO, AO, DC, DSO, AD/SDAO, SO Solved Question Papers & Answers are provided below in the form of Portable Document Formats [pdf]. Download the JPSC Last Five Years Exam Papers just by clicking on the below attachment named as PSC Jharkhand SO Model Papers.
Direct Link to download JPSC Solved Papers
http://www.jpsc.gov.in/
About JPSC – www.jpsc.gov.in
The Jharkhand Public Service Commission shortly referred as JPSC. The Jharkhand State Government is operating the Jharkhand PSC. The JPSC works for the recruitment of qualified candidates for numerous jobs in Jharkhand Combined State Civil Services. The PSC Jharkhand recruits capable aspirants for the development of the country. The JPSC releases advertisements for the recruitment of talented candidates into state government through exams. The approved website link of Jharkhand PSC iswww.jpsc.gov.in. Applicants will be selected depending upon their ranks obtained in the exams conducted by Jharkhand JPSC. The interested & eligible aspirants who want to work at Jharkhand Government Jobscan use this opportunity and apply for the jobs through online after the release date of the advertisement. Applicants can visit the legitimate website for further details. Download the JPSC Previous Years Question Papers for reference of DSO applicants.
Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020: Walk-in for 146 Medical Officer & Para Medical Supporting Staff in Rajkot!! The Rajkot Municipal Corporation has released the RMC Notification. There has been an announcement to hire 146 candidates. The posts available are Medical Officer and Para Medical Supporting Staff. Interested candidates can download the application form below and attend the walk-in-interview. The interview is going to be conducted on 21st April 2020. All details have been provided below for the candidates.
Rajkot Municipal Corporation Recruitment 2020-21
Candidates who are interested in RMC jobs can get all the details below. These details have been taken from the official notification. Read all the details in the sections below. You can also refer to the official RMC notification for more details. Once you get all the details, you can confirm your eligibility. Eligible candidates can download the application form from below and attend the walk-in on the said dates. Candidates who wish to know more about the Rajkot Municipal Corporation can visit the official website @ www.rmc.gov.in or click on the website link below.
Overview of Rajkot RMC Jobs 2020
Name of the Organization
Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC)
Number of Vacancies
146
Name of Post
Medical Officer and Para Medical Supporting Staff
Date of Walk-in
21st April 2020
Job Category
Gujarat Government Jobs
Job Location
Rajkot, Gujarat
Application process
Walk-in-interview
Official Website
www.rmc.gov.in
Details of Rajkot RMC Vacancy 2020-21:
The details of the vacancy as given in the Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020 is as below
Name of the Post
Number of Posts
Medical Officer
73
Para Medical Supporting Staff ANM/ GNM/ MPHW
73
Total
146
Eligibility Criteria for Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020
Candidates interested in Rajkot RMC Jobs can check their eligibility with the details below to apply.
Academic Qualification:
Read the official notification for more details on Rajkot RMC Careers.
Age Limit:
For age limit as given in the Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020, refer to the official notification
Selection Process:
Interview
Document Verification
Pay Scale for Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020:
Refer to the official website for details on the pay scale for Rajkot RMC Jobs
Rajkot RMC Application Fee:
Candidates may read the official notification to get more details on Rajkot RMC application fees
Interview Date and Reporting Time:
The interview will be conducted on 21st April 2020
Reporting time for Medical Officer posts is 09.30 AM
Reporting time for Para Medical Supporting Staff is 10.30 AM
How to apply for Rajkot RMC Recruitment 2020?
Open the notification link from below
Read all the details carefully and check if you are eligible
If eligible, download the application form
Fill in the RMC Application form with all the details asked for
Attend the walk-in on the said date and the said time
Address:
Rajkot Municipal Corporation, Dhebarbhai Road, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
HLL HITES Recruitment 2020: Online Application for 109 Account Officer, Manager, Project Engineer & Other Posts in Kerala @ www.hllhites.com!! HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd has released the HLL HITES Notification. There has been an announcement to hire 109 candidates. The HLL HITES posts available are Account Officer, Manager, Project Engineer & Others. Aspirants can get all the details below. The officials are inviting online applications from qualified candidates to fill up the HLL HITES Vacancy. Candidates can start applying online from 14th April 2020. The last date to apply for HLL Recruitment is 28th April 2020. Selected candidates will be placed in Kerala. Candidates looking for government jobs in Kerala can make good use of this opportunity.
HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd Recruitment 2020-21
Interested candidates can get all the details about HLL HITES jobs below. Here you will get all the information about the vacancy, salary, age limit, education qualification and other details. This information is taken from the official HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd notification. Interested candidates can also refer to the official notification for more information. Once the candidate has confirmed eligibility, they can proceed to apply online. To start applying, click on the HLL HITES apply online link. Follow the steps given below to make sure your application is not rejected. To know more about the HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd, visit the official website @ www.hllhites.com or click on the website link below.
334 – Statistical Investigator, Assistant Director & Others
About HLL Infra Tech Services Ltd.:
HLL Infra Tech Services Limited also known as 'HITES' is a 100% subsidiary of HLL Lifecare Limited under MoHFW, GOI. HITES is specifically positioned towards absorbing the requirements of Medium to Large Public Hospitals primarily within the country as well as small forays overseas. HITES are a mixture of the domain of Engineering, Procurement & Bio-Medical ably assisted by functions of F&A, HR, Legal & IT. All the functions are highly IT-enabled with an array of world-class application software viz. Primavera, SAP, Autocad, e-Tendering etc. Know more about HLL HITES @ www.hllhites.com.
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Mumbai: India Inc has opened war rooms where whiteboards seem to have only one item on the agenda – conserving cash. Capex plans for FY21are being deferred as top companies ET spoke with believe that creating capacities don't make sense until demand revives. Groups such as the Tatas, Godrej, Mahindra and Aditya Birla have decided to restrain capex, something cookie maker Britannia, too, is considering. Companies are considering multiple resumption time-frames, ranging from three to six months. "Since no one can take any guess about how long this crisis will last, we are preparing alternatives for each time-frame in terms of production and demand," said the CEO at a top Mumbai based conglomerate. Tata Sons has directed group CEOs to go slow on capex plans and build scenarios for three to six months, keeping in mind the impact of the pandemic on businesses. "Conserving cash for 2020-21 is our message to all group companies," N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, told ET in an exclusive interview earlier. Venu Srinivasan of TVS Motor said the biggest challenge is business continuity and sustaining fixed costs. Deepak Parekh, chairman of India's biggest financial group HDFC, has also directed the group to conserve cash. "To increase equity in the company in order to be over capitalized is better than to be over leveraged. Avoid debt trap and rope in private equity if needed," he said in a webinar to a closed group. Birla and Godrej groups did not comment. Britannia said the focus is to conserve cash and be flexible financially in an uncertain market. "The growth slowdown during FY20 across many segments has impacted corporate capex. We estimate the combined capex of the corporate sector would have declined by around 15-18%," said Subrata Ray, senior group vice-president, ICRA. "Given that the capacity utilisation in the fourth quarter of FY 20 was in the region of 68-69%, it's a clear indication that there is surplus capacity within the industry," said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Care Ratings.
Mumbai: The RBI is likely to raise its liquidity game to calm market anxiety and facilitate smooth government borrowing as bond yields surge despite a 75 basis point cut in interest rate.The central bank may have to raise the amount it lends through Targeted Long-Term Repo Operations (TLTRO), and step up bond purchases, including buying corporate bonds for the first time ever. The RBI may also raise the ceiling on central and state governments' borrowing through Ways and Means Advances (WMA), a short-term borrowing programme.The RBI, which has been reluctant in following the sweeping actions of the US Federal Reserve, could use Section 17 of the RBI Act to extend bond purchases to include corporate bonds with sufficient haircuts, said bankers.With inflows drying up for the investing community — mutual funds, foreign institutional investors, insurers — and risk aversion reigning high, the government faces obstacles to its borrowing plan.Bid to keep govt borrowing cost in checkEven if it does so, it may be at a higher cost. Government borrowing costs today are where they were last November."No one knows the extent of fiscal implications of this extended lockdown," said Manish Wadhawan, CEO of Serinity Macro Partners, and a former HSBC banker. "The RBI might have to increase the WMA limits of the Centre and states to balance the shortfall of revenues that these governments may be facing."The RBI has fixed WMA limit of the central government at ₹1.2 lakh crore in the fiscal first half of this year, while the amount for states is ₹41,890 crore. States can borrow at the repo rate for up to 90 days. In case of a delay, a 2 per cent penal rate is charged."The impact on growth from Covid-19 due to required measures, such as the lockdown, will require active support from the RBI to ensure that government borrowing for the current financial year is conducted smoothly," said Srinivas Varadarajan, managing director at Deutsche Bank.Yield on benchmark government bonds is back at 6.5 per cent, the level seen on February 6. Yields had plunged to a low of 5.98 per cent after the RBI slashed repo rate — the rate at which it lends to banks — by 75 basis points to 4.4 per cent. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.Last week, states such as Rajasthan and Kerala paid 150-200 basis points more than the normal spreads on sovereign bonds.Surge in deficitCollapsing tax revenues and a surge in Covid-related expenses could push the combined deficit of the central and state governments to 9.8 per cent of GDP, from the budgeted 6.4 per cent."The RBI is likely to finance fiscal deficit slippage by conducting more open market operations — buying government bonds in the secondary market," said Anubhuti Sahay, economist at Standard Chartered.The fear of higher fiscal deficit and the lack of guidance from the government on how it would repay and what the expenditure road map would be has led to a spike in borrowing costs. The next bond auction scheduled for Friday could indicate the market fears.
New Delhi: Gradual resumption of economic activity in the country will be based on the assessment by local administrations regarding control of Covid-19 on the ground, said people with knowledge of the matter. The key economic ministries are in favour of opening up agriculture and sectors that employ large numbers of people, reasoning that this is critical to ensure the wellbeing of Indians.The government is expected to announce some details soon regarding selective resumption of economic activity from April 20, though a nationwide lockdown will be in force until May 3."Gradual and graded opening up is the key in line with risk assessment... A complete shutdown can have wider ramifications for the economy," said a government official. PM Modi told the nation on Tuesday that areas where the outbreak was under control could see some relaxation in lockdown conditions after April 20. During his meeting with chief ministers, Modi had amended the slogan 'Jaan hai toh jahan hai' to 'Jaan bhi aur jahan bhi', implying that economic activity cannot remain stalled forever, said the official. This would be the guiding principle, he said. 75150915Stringent ProtocolsMany countries, including Denmark and Spain, have announced plans to lift lockdowns.Various stakeholder ministries including finance, commerce & industry, health and home, besides Niti Aayog, have held several rounds of discussion on opening up some sectors of industry.Detailed guidelines to be issued by the ministry of home affairs, which favours a total lockdown along with the health ministry, will spell out the strategy and method of easing the lockdown.Stringent protocols will have to be followed by businesses that will be allowed to undertake activity in permitted zones. District administrations will have to facilitate functioning while ensuring that guidelines applicable in the area are followed, said the officials.Zones will be categorised into red, amber and green, depending on infection levels. Based on this, certain activities suggested by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the ministries of micro, small & medium enterprises, agriculture and food processing will be allowed.For example, Goa said on Tuesday that it's a green zone with no cases, and thus eligible to gradually open up with strict vigil maintained at the border. A similar opening-up could follow for green zones in other parts of the country. Industry has told the government it will require some time to restart operations, according to a CII official. It can work on a district-wise resumption strategy after local administrations carry out their assessments.
New Delhi: As the number of novel coronavirus cases spikes in the country, the authorities are considering the option of moving from the current policy of institutionally quarantining every Covid-19 positive person to allowing mild cases to be self-isolated at home.The empowered group on availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities has made this suggestion to the health ministry. According to this group, home quarantine for patients showing mild symptoms could be considered as long as family members are able to provide proper care, and adequate distancing measures can be enforced.The health ministry is deliberating the matter and may soon issue guidelines."We have proposed this to avoid unnecessary burden on the healthcare system," said a person with knowledge of the developments. This person added that the decision to allow home quarantine will be taken after clinical evaluation and assessment of the conditions at a patient's home. It will apply only to mild cases without underlying conditions such as heart ailments and renal problems.The empowered group on availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities is one of 11 high-powered panels set up by the government to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. 75151111'Global Precedent'The panel is headed by environment secretary CK Mishra and includes AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, ICMR chief epidemiologist RR Gangakhedkar, Railway Board chairman Vinod Yadav, and officials from the Prime Minister's Office.The proposal to allow mild cases to be kept at home was endorsed by the heads of major hospitals."If facilities are available and it is feasible, a person with mild symptoms should be advised to home-quarantine," said Dr Guleria.Max Healthcare chairman Abhay Soi said anyone with mild flu-like symptoms who has a house with good ventilation should be advised to stay at home. "This (self-isolation at home) is a very good idea. Anybody who has a house and can spare a room with good ventilation should be given permission. That's the way it has been done all over the world, including in Singapore, the US and UK. We can have healthcare workers from nearby hospitals check on them once a day," Soi said.According to the health ministry data, India has a total of 602 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals with 106,719 isolation beds and 12,024 ICU beds.'EASING PRESSURE ON HOSPITALS'"While India's hospitals aren't overwhelmed yet, we can't take chances. This move could ease the pressure on hospitals if cases continue to rise," said another person.The World Health Organization (WHO) has also advocated home quarantine for patients with mild symptoms. "Ensure that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathrooms) are well ventilated (keep windows open), household members should stay in a different room or, if that is not possible, maintain a distance of at least 1 metre from the ill person," it has said.A health ministry official told ET that the recommendation for home quarantine is sensible as mild cases do not require much medical intervention. "Since there is no medicine or vaccine, the mild cases can easily be kept at home," added the official.
New Delhi: As the number of novel coronavirus cases spikes in the country, the authorities are considering the option of moving from the current policy of institutionally quarantining every Covid-19 positive person to allowing mild cases to be self-isolated at home.The empowered group on availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities has made this suggestion to the health ministry. According to this group, home quarantine for patients showing mild symptoms could be considered as long as family members are able to provide proper care, and adequate distancing measures can be enforced.The health ministry is deliberating the matter and may soon issue guidelines."We have proposed this to avoid unnecessary burden on the healthcare system," said a person with knowledge of the developments. This person added that the decision to allow home quarantine will be taken after clinical evaluation and assessment of the conditions at a patient's home. It will apply only to mild cases without underlying conditions such as heart ailments and renal problems.The empowered group on availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities is one of 11 high-powered panels set up by the government to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. 75151111'Global Precedent'The panel is headed by environment secretary CK Mishra and includes AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, ICMR chief epidemiologist RR Gangakhedkar, Railway Board chairman Vinod Yadav, and officials from the Prime Minister's Office.The proposal to allow mild cases to be kept at home was endorsed by the heads of major hospitals."If facilities are available and it is feasible, a person with mild symptoms should be advised to home-quarantine," said Dr Guleria.Max Healthcare chairman Abhay Soi said anyone with mild flu-like symptoms who has a house with good ventilation should be advised to stay at home. "This (self-isolation at home) is a very good idea. Anybody who has a house and can spare a room with good ventilation should be given permission. That's the way it has been done all over the world, including in Singapore, the US and UK. We can have healthcare workers from nearby hospitals check on them once a day," Soi said.According to the health ministry data, India has a total of 602 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals with 106,719 isolation beds and 12,024 ICU beds.'EASING PRESSURE ON HOSPITALS'"While India's hospitals aren't overwhelmed yet, we can't take chances. This move could ease the pressure on hospitals if cases continue to rise," said another person.The World Health Organization (WHO) has also advocated home quarantine for patients with mild symptoms. "Ensure that shared spaces (e.g. kitchen, bathrooms) are well ventilated (keep windows open), household members should stay in a different room or, if that is not possible, maintain a distance of at least 1 metre from the ill person," it has said.A health ministry official told ET that the recommendation for home quarantine is sensible as mild cases do not require much medical intervention. "Since there is no medicine or vaccine, the mild cases can easily be kept at home," added the official.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Shared mobility will likely take a short-term hit and demand for entry-level cars and two-wheelers increase in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis, according to two top automobile industry veterans.Hero MotoCorp chairman Pawan Munjal and Mahindra & Mahindra managing director Pawan Goenka expect people to continue observing social distancing norms even after the crisis is over, and that to bring a change to the way they commute.While daily commuters may prefer avoiding public transport, the possibility of job or salary cuts would weigh on their capacity to buy a personal vehicle. In this situation, a mass-market motorcycle or scooter could become the preferred mode of transportation for many, while car buyers could settle for small cars to reduce the pressure on their wallets.In a recent analyst call, Munjal said travelling habits were expected to change as people would continue to prefer social distancing for some more time now. Hence, the preference for owned vehicles would emerge.Hero's rival, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, believes this could bring in a spurt in used two-wheeler business, which still remains quite unorganised. The circumstance may trigger demand for pre-owned cars and SUVs as well.Another view, according to Mahindra's Goenka, is that working from home and virtual meetings might result in people driving fewer kilometres in their vehicles on an average.Perhaps shared mobility will become less desirable after the pandemic giving an impetus to personal vehicle buying, Goenka said at a recent virtual ETAUTO townhall meeting. However, he expects this to be a "temporary phase" and shared mobility to eventually return to the fore."People will be concerned about using a vehicle where they don't know who was in it before. If it's a shared taxi, who is sitting next to them they don't know," he said.Historically, demand for entry-level vehicles has increased after economic slowdowns, as people had less money for discretionary purchases.To be sure, sales of entry vehicles have faced the biggest hit in recent times, due to a 10-15% spike in prices following the introduction of new emission and safety standards."We expect three things to happen post the lockdown is lifted. The conversion from enquiry to sale may take longer, people will end up downgrading their budget and thirdly buyers will tend to choose trusted brands," said a senior executive at a leading carmaker, who didn't want to be named.According a survey conducted by Carwale.com this week, just over half the 10,000-plus respondents said they would not be going ahead with their plan to buy a car now. Of the remaining who would buy, almost 58% said they had reduced their budget. This would likely help companies like Maruti Suzuki, Renault and Hyundai Motor which make entry-level cars.Restoring the broken supply chains may take several months even after the lockdown is over and demand may take a while — up to a quarter or two — to return, said industry experts.Crisil Research director Hetal Gandhi told ET the scenario was unprecedented, and it was expected to lead to a severe impact on the income levels of the self-employed, SMEs, traders and also to an extent of those employed in the formal sector. However, since agriculture is exempted from the lockdown, demand for two-wheelers in the rural segment may not take any major hit.
By Navneet MunotOver the past few decades, the world has seen recessions, wars and natural calamities. Yet, a pandemic of the magnitude that we are witnessing today perhaps only happens once a century. Yet, to say that this event was a Black Swan, an "unknown unknown", something we didn't know that we don't know, would be inappropriate. Afterall, many new virus outbreaks such as H1N1 and Ebola have happened within the last decade. The market reaction to the 'small' virus has been anything, but small. Several trillion dollars of evaporated market cap, widening credit spreads, volatility across assets zooming to record levels, and so on clearly suggest that this was a tail risk that markets weren't ready for.Markets are reacting as much to the lockdown and its economic fallout as to the pandemic itself, with billions of people across countries locked down in their homes. Correia et al. (2020) study on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) such as lockdowns during the 1918 Flu pandemic across the US found that cities that adopted lockdowns earlier and for longer not only had lower mortality, but also grew faster than others in the medium term. India therefore may have done the right thing by imposing a country-wide lockdown earlier on. There will, however, be economic consequences as the world deals with triple shocks simultaneously -- supply shock, demand shock and oil shock. Aggressive policy intervention will be critical in limiting the damage.The government has announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus, aimed at easing the bottom of the pyramid through the lockdown. At 0.8 per cent of GDP this is modest compared with several other countries that have undertaken much larger stimuli. The US for example has approved a package of 10 per cent of GDP. We hope that on the other side of the lockdown, there will be much more help forthcoming from the government. The pain that several businesses, especially smaller ones, face around their very survival and the corresponding rise in unemployment, need to be addressed. While poverty in India has usually been associated with rural India, this crisis has brought to fore the plight of the urban poor, who will need focused support as the employment situation continues to worsen.Targeted support to industries most impacted such as travel and hospitality should be considered. At a time when fiscal pressures are binding, we may have to be creative in our policy response. For example, measures such as BS-VI relief for the automobile industry or granting extra FSIs to real estate developers may be of immense help. Over the past few years, corporate balance sheets have improved, but risk appetite stays low, while household balance sheets have gotten stretched. So, the onus is on the government to lever up to support the economy.There will be worries on debt levels, but it is important to note that debt to GDP typically rises in any crisis. Growing the economy out of trouble with the growth in denominators taking care of this ratio is the only way to go. The RBI, however, must absorb the supply to keep yields down. While this may lead to concerns around our ratings and the currency, at a time when most countries will be doing the same, the relative pressure should be less severe. RBI has indeed been bold in resorting to a deep rate cut along with several liquidity-boosting measures including targeted long-term repo operation (TLTRO). The central bank has also allowed a three-month moratorium on term and working capital loans.While 90-days moratorium will be of great help, lost revenues will stretch balance sheets for several businesses. At the same time, smaller financial institutions, especially NBFCs, may face severe liquidity crunch as they offer moratorium on the asset side while facing borrowing hurdles on the liability side. Further, as growth plunges and defaults rise, especially in small businesses and retail loans, there is a heightened risk in the financial sector. A large scale, one-time restructuring may be necessary to tide out this crisis even as philosophically this goes against the tenets of AQR and IBC.RBI, in addition to the system level liquidity, should focus on credit availability across the spectrum. Especially, active intervention to protect financial sector entities is the need of the hour, as any risks there will have far reaching implications on economic activity and we will stay stuck in the vicious cycle. Of late, even faith in some of the larger private sector entities has been shaken. We cannot and should not ignore the role reflexivity plays, especially in the financial sector. To revive faith in the financial system, bolder measurers need to be taken. For example, can the central bank directly lend to these entities and publicly disclose the amount lent to assuage market concerns? Financial sector significantly impacts the real economy and must be protected at all costs.As the world grapples with the Covid-19 crisis, the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia has created an oil shock as well. While falling oil is positive for India with estimated savings of$1.5 billion per dollar decline, there are several deeper impacts too. For example, the US is the largest producer of oil and a large part of its Shale industry could potentially be at risk creating trouble for the world's largest economy. Impact of weak global growth on India along with reduced FPI appetite and flows are likely to weigh and offset direct benefits from reduced oil bill. Yet, to capitalise on reduced prices, we should aggressively use our forex reserves to create oil reserves or perhaps consider an Oil ETF financed through investor money. Gold monetisation is another possible way to channelise resources.FPIs pulled out nearly$ 15 billion from Indian markets in March, their highest-ever outflows. With the domestic savings rate steadily declining and at multi-year lows now, we have stayed heavily dependent on foreign capital. Recent moves such as increasing FPI limit in corporate bonds and opening-up certain government securities under the fully accessible route are welcome steps. Statutory FPI limits of Indian companies having been increased to the sectoral foreign investment limit effective April 1, 2020, should help India's weight in MSCI EM equity index. Yet we also need concerted efforts to rev up domestic savings to provide us with the much-needed risk capital, partly through a rethink on taxation on capital gains and dividends, and partly through regulatory measures.On the other side of the Covid-19 crisis, the world will be a changed place. Versus an increasingly polarised world order and a trend towards deglobalisation earlier, the crisis will hopefully lead to more cooperation and multilateralism. As trillions of dollars will now be spent on healthcare, coordination on this front should rise substantially. Just as there hasn't been a world-war since 1945, hopefully coordinated effort will ensure no such pandemic in the future. The case for just-in-time and super concentrated supply chains may weaken, as reliability is weighed against efficiency, in turn leading to more multilateralism. And yet with rising distrust of China, India should prepare itself as a strong alternative. Apart from healthcare, this could also turn out to be the tipping point for digital technologies as their adoption explodes (so cyberwarfare becomes the next big threat to watch out for?). We must be prepared to capitalise. Even as survival is the immediate priority for the country, we mustn't lose sight of revival and capitalising on opportunities.The unprecedented crisis will lead to unprecedented global stimulus. As has been our long-held view, with monetary policy having reached its limit globally, fiscal policy will do the heavy lifting. Universal Basic Income could become almost a reality in most countries. Quality of political leadership will be vital in ensuring that fiscal policy is less wasteful and more of job creation through productive investments, infrastructure creation, and spends on social causes like education and healthcare. Either way, this will mean more money with the masses. This should help correct the massive income inequality and wealth disparity, which were partly aided by ultra-loose monetary policies. Wage growth for the masses would mean broad-based economic recovery unlike the shallow economy of the past decade, and an accompanying pick-up in world trade which should be positive for emerging economies.In the near-term, markets will have to navigate the pain of the crisis and its aftermath. On fixed income, the challenge is of massive liquidity on one hand and deteriorating credit conditions on the other. We stay long duration. On equities, heightened volatility should continue in the near term, as investors keep an eye on the evolution of Covid-19 on one hand and policy response on economic stress on the other. However, several valuation measures such as market cap to GDP and long-term earnings-based yield spread are in the vicinity of GFC lows, suggesting attractive entry points for long term investors. While the outlook for forward earnings stays uncertain, we stay bottom-up in our approach by focusing on resilient businesses that should emerge stronger on the other side.We are going through extra-ordinarily challenging times. If history is any guide, a crisis of this magnitude will also bring structural change. Change for better. A golden period of Science as well as Spirituality is ahead of us!(Navneet Munot is ED & CIO at SBI Mutual Fund)
As investors grappled with the fear of the unknown on Dalal Street amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, market veteran Vijay Kedia remained calm and carefree as ever.He even penned poems, satirizing the market mood amid a merciless selloff. And, as always, he circulated his trademark motivational lines on group platforms, trying to keep friends and followers upbeat as the nationwide shutdown and stocks selloff cast a pall of gloom all around.Kedia penned four poems in the first two weeks of the lockdown, and recited them in videos made specially for his social media audience.As for market activity, Kedia said he sold some of his holdings, sat on cash and watched the market swing to the tunes of the virus that originated in China's Wuhan province."Watching markets from 9 am to 4 pm, writing, daily exercise and eating less are my focus points nowadays," Kedia said about his daily routine through this lockdown.In one of his poems, Kedia urged investors to learn from their mistakes, and tried to infuse optimism, saying the share market would provide opportunities again."My message is simple: forget the last bull market, look for new shares and new targets," Kedia said.Kedia says he did not trade through the choppy phase of the market selloff and waited patiently, trying to zero in potential gems that distress selloff like this tends to throw up.The Mumbai-based investor is known for having spotted many a multibagger such as Cera Sanitaryware, Aegis Logistics and Atul Auto in the ruins of the market meltdown following the Global Financial Crisis.75122963He managed to spot these growth stories early and they ended up delivering up to 100 times returns from their 2008 lows.The market veteran says he has been at it since 2004.Kedia strictly adheres to what he calls the SMILE principle for stock investing; which translates into spotting businesses that are Small in size, Medium in experience, Large in aspiration and Extra-large in market potential.Kedia said the free fall in the market over the past two months is proving to be testing times for all. "This would throw up wonderful opportunities over the next three months to invest for the long term, ranging from five to 10 years," he said.Equity benchmarks BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty crashed more than 30 per cent in last two months as uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy continued to weigh on investor sentiment.Asked how can one catch the bottom of the market, Kedia laughed at the naivety of the question.75135324"Those who can identify the bottom of benchmark indices, bottom of stocks and bottom of the ongoing crisis (coronavirus) together will be the kings of the market," he said curtly.While the market has melted across the board, the wealth erosion has not been uniform. While select sectoral indices have cracked around 9 per cent, some others have bled as much as 45 per cent.Asked which sectors might lead a new rally once the dust settles, Kedia said it is difficult to predict that right now. "Companies whose products we are using at our homes during this lockdown period will definitely be going to survive and come out stronger," he said.The market veteran does not expect a V-shaped recovery for the market in the near future. Even in the best-case scenario, he does not sees Nifty going past the 10,000-10,500 range too soon. "In the worst-case scenario, market may fall further 10-20 per cent due to sustained outflow of foreign institutional investors' money," he said.The 50-share Nifty index hovered at around 9,000 mark on April 13. "I am hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst at the same time," he said.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has requested the home ministry to allow more digital kiosks to function in rural areas during the nationwide lockdown that has now been extended till May 3. There are 3,70,000 such digital kiosks — called Common Service Centres — across the country. They can help in disbursing essential services such as withdrawals of government subsidies sent directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts under schemes such as the PM-Kisan. Currently, only 50,000 of these centres are operating due to restrictions by the police. Union minister for electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, told ET that the strong network of the CSCs can be helpful in times like these, especially in rural areas. "The only problem is that police are stopping them. We are working on it. We are taking it up with the home ministry," he said. At present, only around 18,000 CSCs carry out banking-related services while 15,000 of them process transactions through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS). Dinesh Tyagi, CEO of CSC e-Governance Services, told ET that the centres that are operational are already processing 1,00,000 withdrawals through AEPS, totalling transactions worth ₹ 13 crore in a single day. "Around 2,60,000 CSCs are enabled to carry out AEPS transactions. If all centres are given the go ahead, it will help those living in far-flung areas to access government money and services without going too far from their homes during the Covid-19 crisis," said Tyagi. The centres also help in telemedicine, undertaking 300-400 sessions every day with a total of 10,000 sessions in a month, including free of cost sessions for animals as well. Some of the centres, which house units for making female hygiene products, have turned to making face masks for local residents. Tyagi said CSCs, which also function as the last-mile connection point for the government's fibre network BharatNeT, have seen requests for 3,20,000 new fibre to home connections compared to just 50,000 earlier. The usage of data accessed through WiFi and fibre connections through the centres has also doubled from 2.7 terabytes earlier to 4.9 terabytes per day.
Avik ChandaThe country is bracing itself for a period of extended total lockdown in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic spread, business leaders are coping with freshly worrying realizations. The lockdown may be lifted within a few weeks but there's no denying that we have now entered an unchartered new paradigm, where 'surviving against odds' becomes the new norm. The overall economic impact of the outbreak will overshadow operations for years to come. But while companies grapple with survival and customer retention, even as stress and burnout, job insecurity, retrenchment, downsizing, emotional and psychological trauma assume centre-stage, it's increasingly clear that recovery and turnarounds too, will have to be accelerated, post the immediate crisis. And with it, the realization that the right time to prepare for recovery is now.It is imperative for employers to understand, and for HR leaders to impress upon them, that the old command-centre constructs of management of efficiency can hardly be expected to succeed, when everything else around us has changed irrevocably. A strategy of "cost-cutting, rationalizing, doing more with less" will not be effective, with a workforce that is incessantly anxious about job security, demoralized about career and business prospects, and depressed about life in general. Going forward, the employer-employee relationship has to be far more close-knit, dyadic, symbiotic. Needless to say, employees must embrace all the opportunities that can help make the most of unstable situations. But employers and managers have an equal responsibility in design the organization, business operations, job roles and responsibilities in a manner that enables employees to do meaningful work, while remaining positive psychologically. More than ever, therefore, alongside technology and process innovations, an investment in employee well-being needs to underscore business turnaround strategies.Given the current circumstances, however, there would be a trade-off between the benefits of well-being and operational expediency. Let us delve into this, with regard to two major frameworks in applied psychology. First, the Demand/ Control Model. Research shows that workers with "active" jobs – characterized by a heathy balance of demand for skills and competencies, and the level of control an employee has over the tasks – are more likely to effect better coping strategies, in an environment of uncertainty and stress. On the other hand, a "relaxed" job, which entails low demands and higher level of control, does not provide employees with such intrinsic motivation. Likewise, "high strain" jobs that involve high demands and low control, are likely to overwhelm employees and encourage a form of helplessness that can undermine employees' sense of mastery over their jobs, and dissuade them from optimizing current skills or developing new ones. Finally, a "passive" job, which combine low demands on skills with low control over tasks, does not encourage skill development and instead, can result in employee helplessness.The evidence is that higher levels of job control are associated with increases in job satisfaction and decreased depression, whereas higher demands of skills and competencies, independent of adequate control tend to be correlated with increased anxiety. In the COVID paradigm, while employers will be hard pressed to get businesses back on the road, it's unlikely that curating "active" jobs will be top on their list. Amid cost-cutting efforts, "relaxed" as well as "passive" jobs will almost certainly get loaded with additional tasks, which, while increasing demand for deliverables, won't necessarily come with an accompanying leeway of control. In times of crisis, the shift will likely to be towards "high strain" jobs, leading to higher levels of stress and anxiety in the workforce, in turn adversely affecting productivity.Next, consider the Role Based Model, which relates to the three characteristics that describe the employee's experience of work: role load, role clarity and role agreement. In this context, research indicates that having sufficient information and predictability in one's work (role clarity), restricted sets of demands and expectations (role agreement), and work that is challenging yet manageable (role load) can affect employee morale and job-related well-being.With regard to the first of these characteristics, there's a clear correlation between appropriate workload to and physical health, positive mood and well-being. However, given that an increasing number of jobs in the future will tend to be "active-high-strain" ones, how can roles be designed, for optimal effectiveness? Role load, translating directly into workload is likely to increase substantially, first, since downsizing will come into effect, as part of business recovery, and second, since many businesses will be in a frenzy of activity, to make good their losses. Should workload be increased across the board, or only for some departments? Within a department, how would employers identify those who have a higher learning curve, greater intrinsic resilience as well as perseverance, to complete tasks that are taken on? This is where accurate, comprehensive and personalized profiling of employees becomes critical, which then informs the allocation of work.In a business-as-usual scenario, agreement entails a negotiation between employers and employees, where additional, more demanding or complex tasks are squared off against increased pay, position and other benefits. In a post-COVID scenario, however, where sustaining jobs becomes the primary imperative, the negotiation power of employees will be severely restricted, at least for some time. Agreements will consequently tend to take the form of unilateral communications from the management. Even so, there's scope for better productivity and employee well-being, by focusing on role clarity. Studies show that job satisfaction and organizational commitment are consistently positively related to role clarity, along with reduction in lack of anxiety and better employee well-being. Key to the success of business recovery is the renewal of trust between employers and employees – therefore, transparency in communication, role clarity, and individualized work allocation are aspects that business leaders need to focus on.Avik Chanda is a business advisor, researcher, columnist and entrepreneur. He is the author of "From Command To Empathy: Using EQ in the Age of Disruption".
The full form of IELTS is International English Language Testing System which is recognized globally. It was established in the year 1989. It tests your proficiency in the English language as well as its a great help to the people who wish to migrate to the places where English is used as a language for speaking, for the purpose of work or education. It uses a 9 band scale to measure proficiency in English. It is recognized by the universities of different countries like Australia, Canada, Newzealand, the USA, the UK, and Ireland.
Types of IELTS
There are mainly 2 versions of IELTS examination which are explained as follows:
1. IELTS Academic
The Academic version of the IELTS examination helps the people who willing to take up the education abroad or professional registration for people like doctors, nurses engineers, etc. who are willing to serve abroad.
2. IELTS General Training
The general training test is taken by the people not for educational purposes, but for the immigration purpose or to gain any work experience in foreign countries.
Eligibility Criteria for IELTS examination
The minimum age to take the IELTS examination is 16 years.
You need to have a valid passport.
You are eligible to take the exam if you fall into one of the below categories.
Planning to study in countries like the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Newzealand, Australia.\
Being a medical professional you want to study or work in the UK, Australia, USA.
Planning to migrate to Canada, Australia or Newzealand.
The type of exam taken will be different as per your purpose of migration
IELTS Test Pattern
The IELTS test syllabus includes 4 sections of the IELTS exam that is speaking, listening, reading and writing. This test will be 4 hours 45 minutes long.
The Listening section of IELTS will take 30 minutes and it is divided into 4 parts and the students are asked to answer 40 questions in the time limit that is given.
The Reading part consists of 3 sections that deal with the issues that are faced by the postgraduate or undergraduate students during their study. Even this section will have 30 minutes which consists of 40 questions.
The writing part of the IELTS exam is having the highest time limit that is 60 minutes. You will be given 2 questions and on those 2 topics, you need to write a short essay of 250 words. Apart from this, you are given the chart, table, graph which you are asked to explain in your own words.
The speaking section will take from 11-14 minutes to complete the test, this test assesses your ability to speak the English language fluently and will you be adjusted in the country that you have applied.
IELTS Registration
While registering for the IELTS examination you need to keep your passport ready because your passport number is necessary and you are also asked to carry your passport while coming for the examination hall. In order to register for the IELTS examination, you need to follow the simple steps below:
You need to visit the official site of the British Council Registration.
Here are some benefits that you get if take the preparation course before actually attending the test.
Taking a preparation course a week or month before the examination makes a great difference in your score.
You may be excellent in your language proficiency but your time management skills may be not that great or some questions that are asked in the test may not be that familiar to you, then taking this preparation course will be a great help to you.
This preparation course will help you to improve your speaking skills which are more important abroad, while you migrate.
This course not only improves your performance in the exam but also helps you to use the vocabulary wherever it is necessary.
Scoring Pattern of IELTS
Speaking and Writing sections of the IELTS examination are subject-related and the scores for the same are given accordingly based on how the vocabulary is used and also how the sentences are structured. The band from 0 to 9 is given.
In Reading and Listening both you will have 40 questions and each question will carry a mark that will be converted to a IELTS band score.
Each section will have a separate band score and based on the marks that you receive the band is given to you.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers)
$80 $18
IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWER
Honestly speaking, I have a myriad of destinations on my must – visit list around the world. However, if I have the opportunity to choose one city, I would probably pick London, which is one of the most prominent capitals around the globe. I guess the reason why I am desired to visit London has something to do with the fact that ever since I was a kid, I have always been amazed by how gorgeous and unique the architects in London are. There are also some interesting facts about London that I want to witness in real life. One of them is the fact about Big Ben tower. So far, many people see the tall clock tower and think that it is Big Ben. But in fact, Big Ben is actually a giant thirteen – ton bell inside the tower that is rung every two hours by a two hundred – kilogram hammer. The real name of the Bell is the Great Bell of Westminster. Besides Big Ben, lots of tourists also enjoy visiting Buckingham Palace, which is also extremely appealing to me since it is the home to the Queen of England. Watching the changing of the guard ceremony that takes place in front of the Palace's gate certainly will give me lots of fresh feelings. Buckingham palace is also the second largest working palace in the world after Brunei's Istana Nurul Iman. There are many other elements making London so tempting to me and pay this amazing city a visit in the future is one of the items in my wish – list.
Vocabulary:
A myriad of something (expression): A large number of something
Must – visit (slang): worth visiting
Prominent (a): Famous
Around the globe (expression): Around the world
Be Desired to do ST (Adjective phrase): want to do something very much
Amaze (v): surprise greatly
Gorgeous (a): Stunning, beautiful
Witness (v): See in the eyes
Hammer (n): tool or device that delivers a blow (a sudden impact) to an object.
In this particular page, there are three reading passages along with the answer key, which you can refer to while practicing for the reading examination of IELTS. By going through this page you will get a clear idea as to how the questions may appear in the reading test.
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-11, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
HOT AIR BALLOONING
The birth of the hot air balloon is largely contributed to the efforts of two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, who employed the fact that hot air was lighter than cool air and using this, managed to lift a small silk balloon 32 metres into the air. The brothers went on to elevate a balloon into the air ten thousand metres before it started to descend and then exploded. Arguably limited success, but their work came to the eye of the French Science Academy as the discovery of the properties of hot air balloons helped scientists to study weather patterns and the atmosphere.
IELTS Reading Recent Actual Tests Jan - May 2020 with Answers
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IELTS Reading Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
It was not until some considerable time later that a balloon was launched that was capable of carrying passengers. Initial flights were trialed by animals, but after the success of these voyages, two passengers, Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois Laurent d'Arlendes were sent up in a balloon that traveled across Paris for 29 minutes. The men fuelled the fire in the centre of their wicker basket to keep the balloon elevated and the trip across Paris was a great success.
The discovery of hydrogen-fuelled flights led to death in 1785 of Pilatre, a tragedy that caused a downfall in the popularity of hot air ballooning but an increase in the popularity of hydrogen. Hot air ballooning lost further ground when alternate modes of air travel were introduced» but in the 1950s, ballooning experienced something of a revival as a leisure activity and sport. Today there are balloons of all shapes and sizes, with many unique designs.
In 1987, British entrepreneur Richard Branson crossed the Atlantic in a balloon named Virgin Atlantic Flyer. At the time, this balloon was the largest ever constructed at 65 thousand cubic metres, but four years later, he and Per Lindstrand from Sweden flew nearly 8000 kilometers from Japan to Northern Canada in their balloon the Virgin Pacific Flyer, which was nearly 10 thousand cubic metres bigger and was the longest flight in a hot air balloon ever made. The Pacific Flyer was designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jet streams and recorded the highest ground speed for a manned balloon at 394 kilometers per hour.
There are now a wide variety of designs and equipment available, from baskets with room for two people right up to 35 or more, separated compartments and specially designed flame-resistant fabrics, but the basic parts of the balloon have remained relatively unchanged. There is a basket, commonly made of wicker, inside which are stored the propane fuel tanks. Immediately above the basket and partly wrapped around by the skirt are the burners, attached to suspension wires. The balloon itself is made of strips of fabric called gores which run from the skirt to the top of the balloon; they are further broken into individual panels. This section of the craft is referred to as the envelope. At the top of the envelope is a self-closing flap that allows hot air to escape at a controlled rate to slow ascents or cause the balloon to descend descents. This is named the parachute valve and is controlled by the vent line – the cable that runs the length of the envelope and hangs just above the basket so the pilot can open and close the parachute valve.
At the mercy of prevailing wind currents, piloting a balloon takes a huge amount of skill but the controls used are fairly straight forward. To lift a balloon the pilot moves the control which releases propane. The pilot can control the speed of the balloon by increasing or decreasing the flow of propane gas, but they cannot control horizontal direction. As a result, balloons are often followed by the ground crew, who may have to pick up the pilot, passengers, and balloon from any number of landing sites. A pilot who wants to fly a hot air balloon must have his commercial pilot's license to fly and must have at least 35 hours of flight instruction. There are no official safety requirements for passengers onboard, but they should know whom they're flying with and what qualifications they may have. For safety reasons, hot air balloons don't fly in the rain because the heat in the balloon can cause water to boil on top of the balloon and destroy the fabric.
One of the largest hot air balloon organizations is the Balloon Federation of America. Founded in 1961, membership in the BFA attracts those with a fascination with ballooning (or 'Lighter Than Air' flight). With an active discussion forum, meetings and displays all around the USA and beyond, the BFA runs on a number of guiding principles, primarily that the future of ballooning is directly related to the safety of enthusiasts. They run a number of training courses, from a novice who is interested in getting a basic license to pilot achievement courses. They even boast of a balloon simulator, which although it will not directly lead to a pilot's license, can give participants a degree of the sensation enjoyed by professional balloon pilots.
Do the following statements agree with the given in the reading passage?
In boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
The Montgolfier brothers were the first people to fly in a hot air balloon.
Hot air ballooning became less popular in the late eighteenth century.
The largest hot air balloon had a capacity of over 75000 cubic metres.
Membership of the BFA is only open to people in America.
Questions 5 – 7
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5- 7 on your answer sheet.
Who accompanied the entrepreneur on the longest balloon flight?
Who follows a hot air balloon’s flight to retrieve the craft when it lands?
What can give newcomers to the sport some idea of the feeling of flying a balloon?
Questions 8 – 11
Label the diagram below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8- 11 on your answer sheet.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 12-23, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS
Downloading music from the internet has become a simple, fast and easy thing to do. The corrector legal way of going about it seems to be ignored by those who find it too costly. Illegal music downloads have reached an all-time high, and a recent survey of high school students revealed an estimated 3.6 billion songs being downloaded per month. There are now endless possibilities available to the public where music can be downloaded for free and people are choosing to take this route even though it is illegal. iTunes Is one of the most well-known sites where music can be bought legally for just over 51 per track. So when it is this cheap why are people still going to alternative unauthorized sites? Or is the legal route still considered a costly way to go about it?
If you think that copying music results in simply a slap on the wrist, think twice. Under government law, record companies are entitled to $750 to $30,000 per infringement but the law allows the jury to increase that to as much as $150,000 per song if it finds the infringements were deliberate. The music industry has threatened about 35,000 people with charges of copyright infringement over the past decade. In recent months there have been more cases of music piracy heading to the courts. The industry estimates that more than a hundred of these cases remain unsettled in court, with fewer than 10 offenders actively arguing the case against them. The penalties for breaching the copyright act differ slightly depending upon whether the infringing is for commercial or private financial gain, with the latter punishment being far milder.
Nonetheless, the potential gain from illegal downloading versus the punitive measures that can be taken is. In many cases, poles apart. Recently, an American woman shared 27 illegally downloaded songs with her friends and was ordered to pay $1.92 million to the record company for deliberate infringement of the companies’ copyrights. More recently in America, a 12-year-old girl was sued for downloading music illegally and could face a penalty of 1150,000 per song. The order of payment from the courts to the American woman who shared the 27 tracks with her friends has spurred controversy as the public disagrees with the ordered Infringement. The woman shared 27 songs at $1.99 per song, so should she be liable to pay such a large and impossible amount?
It has also been noted that of all measures that can be taken, fining is actually the least likely method of preventing further abuse. With driving, for example, statistics have shown that those that repeatedly drive over the speed limit are not discouraged by the loss of a sum of money, but this attitude quickly changed when the penalty was possibly losing their driving license or even spending time in prison.
Being a difficult thing to police, the music industry has decided that it would be much easier to go after the internet service provider than to try and track down each individual case. The music industry feels internet piracy has decreased their artists' sales dramatically and is a danger to their business, although, on the other hand, online music sales promote individual tracks to be sold rather than albums, therefore increasing the amount spent by the purchaser.
If there are so many issues around the downloading of music, you might wonder why sales of MP3 players and CD burners are increasing rapidly The answer is simple – these devices do have a legitimate purpose defined as 'fair use'. You can choose to make your personal back-up copy to use in an MP3 player, or you may visit one of many web sites, like iTunes, which offers music that you pay for as you download. While some may wonder why you would pay for something that can be had for free, those who do prefer to obey the copyright protection laws have purchased over 150 million songs from the iTunes site alone.
Online music sales are a business just like any other and music companies are fighting to salvage their industry. Cary Sherman, the President of RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), stated that when your product is being regularly stolen, there comes a time when you have to take appropriate action. At the same time, the RIAA has offered amnesty to the illegal downloaded who decide to come forward and agree to stop illegally downloading music over the Internet. People who have already been sued are obviously not eligible for amnesty.
When high school students were asked how they felt about the business of downloading illegally from the net they appeared to be divided on the issue. Some seemed to think there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Others felt that it should be thought of as a serious crime like any other form of theft.
Questions 12 – 16
The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Type the correct letter A-H in boxes 12-16.
The disparity between fines and costs
The potential costs of piracy to the defendant
The number of songs illegally obtained from the internet
Ambivalence towards the problem
A reprieve for illegal downloaders
Questions 17 – 20
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 17 – 20 on your answer sheet.
The maximum fine that a record company can impose is ________________.
The penalty for breaking copyright laws is harsher when undertaken for _______________ benefit.
The music industry targets each ________________ rather than each specific person downloading illegally.
Appliances used in connection with illegal downloads are sold under the term_______________.
Questions 21 – 23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
In boxes 21-23 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Most people sued for illegal downloading actively fight back against the record company.
Illegal downloading can be difficult to monitor and control.
High school students are responsible for illegally downloading the most music.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 24 – 40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
The natural world is dominated by cycles that are constant and repeated – the moon's rotation around the earth, the changing of the seasons, the changes between night and day. It is these cycles or rhythms that in part control changes in our metabolism, mood and behavior, and even the patterns of our sleep.
The circadian rhythm is the cycle that indicates when to be awake and when to be asleep. This is a daily cycle that is controlled by changes in amplitude (highs and lows) of light and temperature. As day turns to night, the sunsets and it becomes cooler. The triggers of less light and lower temperatures signal to the body that it is time to slow and begin the pattern of sleep. Of course, there may be many hours between sunset and the time people actually go to bed, but it is from this time that we generally become increasingly less alert and reaction times can be noticeably slower.
There are a number of factors that can affect our circadian rhythm. Working night shifts, which requires people to act in contradiction to the body's natural rhythm, is perhaps the most damaging. Despite getting a good 8 hours sleep during the day, night shift workers still tend to feel drowsy for at least some of the night. This is the main factor for the increase in workplace accidents on this shift when compared to the day shift. The seasons can also affect our natural rhythm, with people having less energy during winter months when there are less sunlight and warmth to stimulate the brain. International travel, notably when traveling in excess of 4 hours, can also have a significant effect; in extreme cases, it can take up to 7 days for your rhythm to reset due to this, a phenomenon referred to as jet lag. A similar, although the milder, effect can be felt in countries with daylight savings time when the clocks are moved forward and backward depending on the season.
There are some tips for helping your bodywork with your circadian rhythm. First thing in the morning take a short walk outside or open all the curtains to get as much light as possible through the eyes and into the brain. Lighting levels that affect circadian rhythm in humans are higher than the levels usually used in artificial lighting in homes. In addition to the strength of the light, wavelength (or color) of light is a factor, the best being that present in sunlight. Plan your work and other activities around the highs and lows of your temperature rhythm. For example, plan easier activities for first thing in the morning when you're not operating at your physical best. Late morning is better for challenging tasks. After lunch, you may feel like nodding off. Take scheduled breaks. The best time to exercise is in the late afternoon – your body temperature reaches its daily high, it is warmed up and stretched from spending your day at work. Avoid driving during sleep times. Sleepy drivers should stop for a nap – playing loud music or leaving windows open is an overrated misconception. At night, close the blinds and curtains and sleep in a dark room. If you work the night shift, use bright lights and music in the workplace to keep your brain alert. Wear an eye mask to block out the light when you want to go to sleep.
Every human – in fact, most non-nocturnal animals – follow the basic rules of the circadian rhythm. However, we also have our own unique body clocks that control the daily changes in how we think and feel and oversee a number of our personal characteristics such as sleep patterns. Your body clock dictates whether you are a night owl, happy to work late into the night, an early bird who prefers the morning or a hummingbird, happy to work both ends of the day. Your body clock determines not only your personal sleep patterns but also whether or not you are grumpy before you have your morning coffee, when and what you need to eat throughout the day, whether you work better In the morning or the afternoon and the best time for you to do exercise. It also affects physical performance, such as temperature, blood pressure, digestion, hormone levels and brain activity (such as mood, behavior, and alertness). Your body clock is what causes you to gain a few kilograms in autumn and wintertime and to make it easier to lose weight in spring and summer.
Being aware of a few issues can help us maintain the best rhythms for our body docks, but there are some tips and tools that can help. Keeping to the same bedtime routine and wake-up schedule, even on your days off, is particularly important – there should be no more than a few hours difference in the time you go to bed. Avoiding interruptions to your sleep is also very important. If there is intermittent, irregular noise, use a fan or any white noise device that generates calming sounds. This is particularly important for night shift workers, for whom daytime noises are generally louder; soft, background noise can help drown out daytime activity noises. Eat small frequent meals to help stoke your metabolism. This is not only helpful in weight maintenance but reinforces the “day” phase of your circadian clock. Eat most of your energy foods earlier in the day and avoid eating a heavy meal near bedtime. Avoid all-nighters, like studying all night before an assessment. Cutting back on sleep the night before may mean that you perform less well. Reduce changes to your work shift, such as changing from night shift to day shift. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes before sleep time. If you feel sleepy during the day, take a short nap. Set an alarm so you sleep for no more than about 20 minutes. Anything more than just a 'catnap’ and you will enter into Stage 3 (deep sleep) and find it harder to wake up from.
Questions 24 – 30
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
In boxes 24-30 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Our reactions are at their slowest at sunset.
There are more accidents on the night shift because workers tend to get less sleep.
Limited air travel has minimal effect on the body’s circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm starts when light reaches the brain.
If a driver is tired, taking a short sleep, listening to music or winding down the window are all equally effective measures for keeping awake.
Humans share the same trends with regards to their body clocks.
Many people take a short rest just after eating lunch.
Questions 31 – 36
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 31 – 36 on your answer sheet
As well as the intensity, what else is important in sunlight for our circadian rhythm?
What specific part of the day is the body at its warmest?
What should night shift workers use to help them sleep?
What type of person works equally well in the morning and in the evening?
What does our body clock make it easier to do after the winter?
What should you avoid before bed to help you get a good night’s sleep?
Questions 37 – 40
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 3 for each answer.
Keep a good 37_______________ by following routines. Try to sleep and wake at roughly the same times when working and on days off. Use 38______________ noise to help you sleep if there are external distractions. Small and regular meals keep your 39_______________ operating at its best. Limit changes to your work shift, and if necessary take a short 40_____________ during the day.
ANSWER KEY FOR IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST
False
The Montgolfier brothers invented the balloon but Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois Laurent d’Arlendes were the first to fly in one.F
True
“…the death in 1785 of Pilatre, a tragedy which caused a downfall in the popularity of hot air ballooning… Hot air ballooning lost further ground when alternate modes of air travel were introduced, but in the 1950s, ballooning experienced something of a revival”
False
65000 + nearly 10000 more = just under 75000 m3
Not Given
The BFA is American but no mention of membership restrictions
Per Lindstrand
“British entrepreneur Richard Branson … he and Per Lindstrand”
The ground crew
“As a result, balloons are often followed by ground crew, who may have to pick up the pilot, passengers and balloon from any number of landing sites”
Balloon simulator
“They even boast of a balloon simulator, which …can give participants a degree of the sensation enjoyed by professional balloon pilots”
Parachute valve – see paragraph 5
Envelope – see paragraph 5
Panels – see paragraph 5
Gores – see paragraph 5
Paragraph C
The paragraph begins with ‘Nonetheless, the potential gain from illegal downloading versus the punitive measures that can be taken are, in many cases, poles apart.’
Paragraph B
The first part of the paragraph refers to the fines that can be exacted on the people illegally downloading (the defendant)
Paragraph A
Midway through the paragraph: ‘an estimated 3.6 billion songs being downloaded per month’
Paragraph H
The first sentence of the paragraph begins ‘how they felt about the business of downloading illegally from the net they appeared to be divided on the issue’
Paragraph C
‘…the RIAA has offered amnesty to the illegal downloader’s who decide to come forward and agree to stop illegally downloading music՛
$30,000
‘record companies are entitled to $750 to $30,000 per infringement but the law allows the jury to increase that to as much as $150,000 per song’
Commercial
‘The penalties for breaching the copyright act differ slightly depending upon whether the infringing is for commercial or private financial gain, with the latter punishment being far milder.’ (Paragraph B)
Internet service provider
‘the music industry has decided that it would be much easier to go after the internet service provider than to try and track down each individual case.1 (paragraph E)
Fair use
‘…sales of MP3 players and CD burners are increasing rapidly…these devices do have a legitimate purpose defined as ‘fair use” (paragraph F)
False
‘The industry estimates that more than a hundred of these cases remain unsettled in court, with fewer than 10 offenders actively arguing the case against them.’ (paragraph B)
True
Being a difficult thing to police’ (paragraph E)
Not given
Paragraph A refers to ‘a recent survey of high school students’ but does not specify that they download the most.
FALSE
According to the text, sunset is the time that triggers the slowdown, and ‘from this time that we generally become increasingly less alert’, which means that we logically can't be at our slowest at sunset – this is the point at which we begin to slow, not the slowest point.
FALSE
‘…despite getting a good 8 hours sleep during the day…’
TRUE
‘International travel, most notably when traveling in excess of 4 hours, can also have a significant effect.’
FALSE
Light entering the brain helps your bodywork with your circadian rhythm; it doesn’t start it.
FALSE
‘…playing loud music or leaving windows open is an overrated misconception.’
FALSE
They are unique
NOT GIVEN
Just says ‘you may feel like nodding off’
Wavelength/color
‘Lighting levels that affect circadian rhythm in humans. In addition to the strength of the light, wavelength (or color) of light is a factor’
Late afternoon
‘The best time to exercise is in the late afternoon – your body temperature reaches its daily high, it is warmed up and stretched from spending your day at work’
An eye mask
If you work the night shift…Wear an eye mask to block out the light when you want to go to sleep.’
A hummingbird
‘…a hummingbird, happy to work both ends of the day'
Lose weight
‘and to make it easier to lose weight in spring and summer' (Note that the question states ‘After the winter')
Alcohol and cigarettes
‘Avoid alcohol and cigarettes before sleep time.
Rhythm
‘maintain the best rhythms…Keeping to the same bedtime routine’
White
‘use a fan or any white noise device that generates calming sounds’
Metabolism
‘Eat small frequent meals to help stoke your metabolism.'
Nap / sleep
‘If you feel sleepy during the day, take a short nap’
The Academic Word List compiled by Coxhead, contains 570 word families which are the most commonly used over a very wide range of academic texts.
Brief Guide to Use This List:
Words of highest frequency are followed by the number 1. For example, you can see that ESTABLISH is numbered 1 in this list. It means that ESTABLISH is the most commonly used in the list of 570 words. FORTHCOMING with number 10 means that it is the least frequent amongst this list of high incidence and high utility words.
How to learn all 570 new words:
It’s time to think out of the box! Let’s learn in a creative way as follows:
Step 1: You can make a box like the image below (right click and save image)
Step 2: On each side of the box (inside), you can write down the synonym, antonym, example, description and put it into a contextual sentence You can even draw something so that it can make you better memorize the new word. For example, you want to learn the word: BENEFIT, this box will turn out to be: + Synonym: profit, advantage, gain + Antonym: damage, harm, disadvantage, downside + Describe it: somethingthat is advantageous or good + Example: I had the benefit of a good education | For maximum benefit, take the tablets before meals. + Draw it: the tick icon (V) can demonstrate for it (from my point of view) because it normally is used when something is correct or good. If you don’t like to draw, you can write the word family, such as: Beneficial, Beneficially, Beneficient
How to learn 570 high-frequency and high-utility words
Step 3: Wrap the box and write the new word outside the box For example, you will write a big word BENEFIT outside it, so that you can open the box if you forget the meaning, antonym, synonym…
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers)
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IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
Model Answers:
1. What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?
Without any doubt I would say motorbikes. You can see people driving a motorbike all over the place in my country. Almost everyone travels by motorbike. The reason why motorbike is so popular I think is due to their reasonable price and convenience. They also extremely varied in terms of size, color and quality, thus a wide variety of choices is available for everyone.
Vocabulary
Without any doubt/There is no doubt that (expression) a phrase expressing certainty or agreement; yes
A wide variety of (collocation) a number or range of things of the same general class that is distinct in character or quality.
2. How often do you take buses?
Almost every day. Since my house is so far away from my university, it's impossible for me to travel by motorbike. In addition, the air is heavily polluted by exhaust fumes and traffic jams always take place, especially during peak hours. Thus, I'd prefer to take the bus, to save time, save gasoline and causing less pollution.
Vocabulary
Exhaust fumes (n) waste gasses or air expelled from an engine, turbine, or another machine in the course of its operation.
Traffic jam (n) a line or lines of stationary or very slow-moving traffic, caused by roadworks, an accident, or heavy congestion.
3. Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains?
Planes and trains regularly depart and arrive on time. Plus, there are many convenient facilities catering particularly to certain groups of passengers. However, traveling by plane is clearly time-saving and enjoyable in terms of on-board services like meals or comfortable seats, while traveling by train offers you a chance to see the world outside, admire the views from their seats. It's totally a great experience for most train-travelers.
Vocabulary
On-board services (n) provided on or within a vehicle
Cater (v) provide with what is needed or required
4.How much time do you spend travelling on a normal day?
I have to commute from my home to my workplace on a daily basis. It normally takes me 30 minutes to travel back and forth.
5. Would you ride bikes to work in the future?
Definitely not. Riding a bike means you're exposing yourself to the unpredictable weather and to air pollution. What is worse, I'm afraid the main streets or the highway are too dangerous for cyclists, as cars, motorbikes and buses will travel at a very high speed. Thus I'd rather ride a motorbike or take the bus instead.
Vocabulary
Unpredictable weather (n) to not able to be predicted; changeable
6. What will become the most popular means of transport in your country?
I think buses will take the lead. You can travel the distance without much worries about ticket price or rainy weather outside. Also new buses now offer better services like comfortable seats for the elderly or good air conditioning systems.
7. Do you prefer public transport or private transport ?
I think I'd prefer public transport. It's much more inexpensive and because it can contain a large number of people, it helps ease the intensity of traffic jams during peak hours and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions caused by vehicles. Private transportation is more costly in terms of fees, taxes and gasoline.
Vocabulary
Intensity (n) of extreme force, degree, or strength
Greenhouse gas emissions (np) the emission into the earth’s atmosphere of any of various gases, esp carbon dioxide, that contribute to the greenhouse effect
The three sections will give you an idea as to how to appear for the actual IELTS reading exam. There are also answer keys for which you can refer to. You can give a practice test and check for the answers whether they are proper or no.
SECTION 1
Going Bananas
The world’s favorite fruit could disappear forever in 10 years' time. The banana is among the world's oldest crops. Agricultural scientists believe that the first edible banana was discovered around ten thousand years ago. It has been at an evolutionary standstill ever since it was first propagated in the jungles of South-East Asia at the end of the last ice age. Normally the wild banana, a giant jungle herb called Musa acuminata, contains a mass of hard seeds that make the fruit virtually inedible. But now and then, hunter-gatherers must have discovered rare mutant plants that produced seed-less, edible fruits. Geneticists now know that the vast majority of these soft-fruited plants resulted from genetic accidents that gave their cells three copies of each chromosome instead of the usual two. This imbalance prevents seeds and pollen from developing normally, rendering the mutant plants sterile. And that is why some scientists believe the world’s most popular fruit could be doomed. It lacks the genetic diversity to fight off pests and diseases that are invading the banana plantations of Central America and the small-holdings of Africa and Asia alike.
IELTS Reading Recent Actual Tests Jan - May 2020 with Answers
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IELTS Reading Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
In some ways, the banana today resembles the potato before blight brought famine to Ireland a century and a half ago. But “it holds a lesson for other crops, too”, says Emile Frison, top banana at the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain in Montpellier, France. “The state of the banana, ，Frison warns, “can teach a broader lesson the increasing standardization of food crops around the world is threatening their ability to adapt and survive.”
The first Stone Age plant breeders cultivated these sterile freaks by replanting cuttings from their stems. And the descendants of those original cuttings are the bananas we still eat today. Each is a virtual clone, almost devoid of genetic diversity. And that uniformity makes it ripe for a disease like no other crop on Earth. Traditional varieties of sexually reproducing crops have always had a much broader genetic base, and the genes will recombine in new arrangements in each generation. This gives them much greater flexibility in evolving responses to disease – and far more genetic resources to draw on in the face of an attack. But that advantage is fading fast, as growers increasingly plant the same few, high-yielding varieties. Plant breeders work feverishly to maintain resistance in these standardized crops. Should these efforts falter, yields of even the most productive crop could swiftly crash. “When some pest or disease comes along, severe epidemics can occur，,” says Geoff Hawtin, director of the Rome-based International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.
The banana is an excellent case in point. Until the 1950s，one variety, the Gros Michel dominated the world's commercial banana business. Found by French botanists in Asian the 1820s，the Gros Michel was by all accounts a fine banana, richer and sweeter than today’s standard banana and without the latter/s bitter aftertaste when green. But it was vulnerable to a soil fungus that produced wilt known as Panama disease. “Once the fungus gets into the soil it remains there for many years. There is nothing farmers can do. Even chemical spraying won't get rid of it，” says Rodomiro Ortiz, director of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan, Nigeria. So plantation owners played a running game, abandoning infested fields and moving so “clean" land _ until they ran out of clean land in the 1950s and had to abandon the Gros Michel. Its successor, and still the reigning commercial king, is the Cavendish banana, a 19th-century British discovery from southern China. The Cavendish is resistant to Panama disease and, as a result, it literally saved the international banana industry. During the 1960s，it replaced the Gros Michel on supermarket shelves. If you buy a banana today, it is almost certainly a Cavendish. But even so, it is a minority in the world’s banana crop.
Half a billion people in Asia and Africa depend on bananas. Bananas provide the largest source of calories and are eaten daily. Its name is synonymous with food. But the day of reckoning may be coming for the Cavendish and its indigenous kin. Another fungal disease, black Sigatoka, has become a global epidemic since its first appearance in Fiji in 1963. Left to itself, black Sigatoka which causes brown wounds on leaves and premature fruit ripening – cuts fruit yields by 50 to 70 percent and reduces the productive lifetime of banana plants from 30 years to as little as 2 or 3. Commercial growers keep Sigatoka at bay by a massive chemical assault. Forty sprayings of fungicide a year is typical. But despite the fungicides, diseases such as black Sigatoka are getting more and more difficult to control. “As soon as you bring in a new fungicide, they develop resistance，' says Frison."One thing we can be sure of is that the Sigatoka won't lose in this battle.” Poor farmers, who cannot afford chemicals, have it even worse. They can do little more than watch their plants die. “Most of the banana fields in Amazonia have already been destroyed by the disease,” says Luadir Gasparotto, Brazil's leading banana pathologist with the government research agency EMBRAPA. Production is likely to fall by 70 percent as the disease spreads, he predicts. The only option will be to find a new variety.
But how? Almost all edible varieties are susceptible to diseases, so growers cannot simply change to a different banana. With most crops, such a threat would unleash an army of breeders, scouring the world for resistant relatives whose traits they can breed into commercial varieties. Not so with the banana. Because all edible varieties are sterile, bringing in new genetic traits to help cope with pests and diseases is nearly impossible. Nearly, but not totally. Very rarely, a sterile banana will experience a genetic accident that allows an almost normal seed to develop, giving breeders a tiny window for improvement. Breeders at the Honduran Foundation of Agricultural Research have tried to exploit this to create disease-resistant varieties. Further backcrossing with wild bananas yielded a new seedless banana resistant to both black Sigatoka and Panama disease.
Neither Western supermarket consumers nor peasant growers like the new hybrid. Some accuse it of tasting more like an apple than a banana. Not surprisingly, the majority of plant breeders have till now turned their backs on the banana and got to work on easier plants. And commercial banana companies are now washing their hands of the whole breeding effort, preferring to fund a search for new fungicides instead. “We supported a breeding program for 40 years, but it wasn't able to develop an alternative to Cavendish. It was very expensive and we got nothing back,” says Ronald Romero, head of research at Chiquita, one of the Big Three companies that dominate the international banana trade.
Last year, a global consortium of scientists led by Frison announced plans to sequence the banana genome within five years. It would be the first edible fruit to be sequenced. Well, almost edible. The group will actually be sequencing inedible wild bananas from East Asia because many of these are resistant to black Sigatoka. If they can pinpoint the genes that help these wild varieties to resist black Sigatoka, the protective genes could be introduced into laboratory tissue cultures of cells from edible varieties. These could then be propagated into new, resistant plants and passed on to farmers.
It sounds promising, but the big banana companies have, until now, refused to get involved in GM research for fear of alienating their customers. “Biotechnology is extremely expensive and there are serious questions about consumer acceptance,11 says David McLaughlin, Chiquita’s senior director for environmental affairs. With scant funding from the companies, the banana genome researchers are focusing on the other end of the spectrum. Even if they can identify the crucial genes, they will be a long way from developing new varieties that smallholders will find suitable and affordable. But whatever biotechnology's academic interest, it is the only hope for the banana. Without banana production worldwide will head into a tailspin. We may even see the extinction of the banana as both a lifesaver for hungry and impoverished Africans and as the most popular product on the world’s supermarket shelves.
Questions 1-3
Complete the sentences below with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
In boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet, write
Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet
The banana was first eaten as a fruit by humans ……………………………years ago.
The banana was first planted in………………………….
Wild banana's taste is adversely affected by its……………………………….
Questions 4-10
Look at the following statements (Questions 4-10) and the list of people below Match each statement with the correct person, A-I.
Write the correct letter: A-I, in boxes 4-10 On your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
Pest invasion may seriously damage the banana industry.
The effect of fungal infection in the soil is often long-lasting.
A commercial manufacturer gave up on breeding bananas for disease-resistant
The banana disease may develop resistance to chemical sprays.
A banana disease has destroyed a large number of banana plantations.
Consumers would not accept the genetically altered crop.
Lessons can be learned from bananas for other crops.
List of People
Rodomiro
David Maclaughlin
Emile Frison
Ronald Romero
Luadir Gasparotto
Geoff Hawtin
Questions 11-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
if the statement is true
FALSE
if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN
if the information is not given in the passage
Banana is the oldest known fruit
Gros Michel is still being used as a commercial product
Banana is the main food in some countries
SECTION 2
Computer Provides More Questions
Than Answers
The island of Antikythera lies 18 miles north of Crete, where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. Currents there can make shipping treacherous __ and one ship bound for ancient Rome never made it. The ship that sank there was a giant cargo vessel measuring nearly 500 feet long. It came to rest about 200 feet below the surface, where it stayed for more than 2,000 years until divers looking for sponges discovered the wreck a little more than a century ago.
Inside the hull were a number of bronze and marble statues. From the look of things, the ship seemed to be carrying luxury items, probably made in various Greek islands and bound for wealthy patrons in the growing Roman Empire. The statues were retrieved, along with a lot of other unimportant stuff, and stored. Nine months later, an enterprising archaeologist cleared off a layer of organic material from one of the pieces of junk and found that it looked like a gearwheel. It had inscriptions in Greek characters and seemed to have something to do with astronomy.
That piece of "Junk" went on to become the most celebrated find from the shipwreck; it is displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Research has shown that the wheel was part of a device so sophisticated that its complexity would not be matched for a thousand years — it was also the world’s first known analog computer. The device is so famous that an international conference organized in Athens a couple of weeks ago had only one subject: the Antikythera Mechanism.
Every discovery about the device has raised new questions. Who built the device, and for what purpose? Why did the technology behind it disappear for the next thousand years? What does the device tell us about ancient Greek culture? And does the marvelous construction, and the precise knowledge of the movement of the sun and moon and Earth that it implies, tell us how the ancients grappled with ideas about determinism and human destiny?
“We have gear trains from the 9th century in Baghdad used for simpler displays of the solar and lunar motions relative to one another — they use eight gears,' said Frangois Charette, a historian of science in Germany who wrote an editorial accompanying a new study of the mechanism two weeks ago in the journal Nature. "In this case, we have more than 30 gears. To see it on a computer animation makes it mind-boggling. There is no doubt it was a technological masterpiece.”
The device was probably built between 100 and 140 BC, and the understanding of astronomy it displays seems to have been based on knowledge developed by the Babylonians around 300-700 BC, said Mike Edmunds, a professor of astrophysics at Cardiff University in Britain. He led a research team that reconstructed what the gear mechanism would have looked like by using advanced three- dimensional-imaging technology. The group also decoded a number of the inscriptions. The mechanism explores the relationship between lunar months __ the time it takes for the moon to cycle through its phases, say, full moon to the full moon -and calendar years. The gears had to be cut precisely to reflect this complex relationship; 19 calendar years equal 235 lunar months.
By turning the gear mechanism, which included what Edmunds called a beautiful system of epicyclic gears that factored in the elliptical orbit of the moon, a person could check what the sky would have looked like on a date in the past, or how it would appear in the future. The mechanism was encased in a box with doors in front and back covered with inscriptions — a sort of instruction manual. Inside the front door were pointers indicating the date and the position of the sun, moon, and zodiac, while opening the back door revealed the relationship between calendar years and lunar months, and a mechanism to predict eclipses.
“If they needed to know when eclipses would occur, and this related to the rising and setting of stars and related them to dates and religious experiences, the mechanism would directly help，,” said Yanis Bitsakis, a physicist at the University of Athens who co-wrote the Nature paper. “It is a mechanical computer. You turn the handle and you have a date on the front." Building it would have been expensive and required the interaction of astronomer, engineers, intellectuals, and craftspeople. Charette said the device overturned conventional ideas that the ancient Greeks were primarily ivory tower thinkers who did not deign to muddy their hands with technical stuff. It is a reminder, he said, that while the study of history often focuses on written texts, they can tell us only a fraction of what went on at a particular time.
imagine a future historian encountering philosophy texts written in our time ~ and an aircraft engine. The books would tell that researcher what a few scholars were thinking today, but the engine would give them a far better window into how technology influenced our everyday lives. Charette said it was unlikely that the device was used by practitioners of astrology, then still in its infancy. More likely, he said, it was bound for a mantelpiece in some rich Roman's home. Given that astronomers of the time already knew how to calculate the positions of the sun and the moon and to predict eclipses without the device, it would have been the equivalent of a device built for a planetarium today __ something to spur popular interest or at least claim bragging rights.
Why was the technology that went into the device lost? “The time this was built, the jackboot of Rome was coming through, "Edmunds said. “The Romans were good at town planning and sanitation but were not known for their interest in science." The fact that the device was so complex, and that it was being shipped with a number of other luxury items, tells Edmunds that it is very unlikely to have been the on ever made. Its sophistication “is such that it can't have been the only one，” Edmunds said. “There must have been a tradition of making them. We’re always hopeful a better one will surface.” Indeed, he said, he hopes that his study and the renewed interest in the Antikythera Mechanism will prompt second looks by both amateurs and professionals around the world. “The archaeological world may look in their cupboards and maybe say, That isn't a bit of rusty old metal in the cupboard."
Questions 14-18
The reading Passage has ten paragraphs A- J.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-J, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
The content inside the wrecked ship
Ancient astronomers and craftsman might involve
The location of the Antikythera Mechanism
Details of how it was found
Appearance and structure of the mechanism
Questions 19-22
Summary
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.
An ancient huge sunk _______________ 19______ was found accidentally by sponges searcher. The ship loaded
with ______ 20______ such as bronze and sculptures. However, an archaeologist found a junk similar to a_______ 21______ which has Greek script on it. This inspiring and elaborated device was found to be the first _______22 _______ in the world.
Questions 23-26
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C) with opinions or deeds below. Write the appropriate letters A-F in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.
NB you may use any letter more than once
Yanis Bitsakis
Mike Edmunds
Francois Charette
More complicated than the previous device
Anticipate to find more Antikythera Mechanism in the future
Antikythera Mechanism was found related to the moon
Mechanism assisted ancient people to calculate the movement of stars.
SECTION 3
Save Endangered Language
“Obviously we must do some serious rethinking of our priorities, lest linguistics go down in history as the only science that presided obviously over the disappearance of 90 percent of the very field to which it is dedicated.” – Michael Krauss, "The World's Languages in Crisis".
Ten years ago Michael Krauss sent a shudder through the discipline of linguistics with his prediction that half the 6,000 or so languages spoken in the world would cease to be uttered within a century.
Unless scientists and community leaders directed a worldwide effort to stabilize the decline of local languages, he warned, nine-tenths of the linguistic diversity of humankind would probably be doomed to extinction. Krauss's prediction was little more than an educated guess, but other respected linguists had been clanging out similar alarms. Keneth L. Hale of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology noted in the same journal issue that eight languages on which he had done fieldwork had since passed into extinction. A 1990 survey in Australia found that 70 of the 90 surviving Aboriginal languages were no longer used regularly by all age groups. The same was true for all but 20 of the 175 Native American languages spoken or remembered in the US, Krauss told a congressional panel in 1992.
Many experts in the field mourn the loss of rare languages, for several reasons. To start, there is scientific self-interest: some of the most basic questions in linguistics have to do with the limits of human speech, which are far from fully explored. Many researchers would like to know which structural elements of grammar and vocabulary—if anymore truly universal and probably, therefore, hardwired into the human brain. Other scientists try to reconstruct ancient migration patterns by comparing borrowed words that appear in otherwise unrelated languages. In each of these cases, the wider the portfolio of languages you study, the more likely you are to get the right answers.
Despite the near-constant buzz in linguistics about endangered languages over the past 10 years, the field has accomplished depressingly little. "You would think that there would be some organized response to this dire situation，'，some attempt to determine which language can be saved and which should be documented before they disappear, says Sarah G. Thomason, a linguist at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. "But there isn't any such effort organized in the profession. It is only recently that it has become fashionable enough to work on endangered languages.55 Six years ago, recalls Douglas H. Whalen of Yale University, "when I asked linguists who were raising money to deal with these problems, I mostly got blank stares." So Whalen and a few other linguists founded the Endangered Languages Fund. In the five years to 2001, they were able to collect only $80,000 for research grants. A similar foundation in England, directed by Nicholas Ostler, has raised just $8,000 since 1995.
But there are encouraging signs that the field has turned a comer. The Volkswagen Foundation, a German charity, just issued its second round of grants totaling more than $2 million. It has created a multimedia archive at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands that can house recordings, grammars, dictionaries and other data on endangered languages. To fill the archive, the foundation has dispatched field linguists to document Aweti (100 or so speakers in Brazil) ，Ega (about 300 speakers in Ivory Coast)，Waima? an (a few hundred speakers in East Timor), and a dozen or so other languages unlikely to survive the century. The Ford Foundation has also edged into the arena. Its contributions helped to reinvigorate a master-apprentice program created in 1992 by Leanne Hinton of Berkeley and Native Americans worried about the imminent demise of about 50 indigenous languages in California. Fluent speakers receive $3,000 to teach a younger relative (who is also paid) their native tongue through 360 hours of shared activities, spread over six months. So far about 5 teams have completed the program, Hinton says, transmitting at least some knowledge of 25 languages. "It's too early to call this language revitalization," Hinton admits. "In California, the death rate of elderly speakers will always be greater than the recruitment rate of young speakers. But at least we prolong the survival of the language•" That will give linguists more time to record these tongues before they vanish.
But the master-apprentice approach hasn't caught on outside the U.S., and Hinton's effort is a drop in the sea. At least 440 languages have been reduced to a mere handful of elders, according to the Ethnologue, a catalog of languages produced by the Dallas-based group SIL International that comes closest to global coverage. For the vast majority of these languages, there is little or no record of their grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation or use in daily life. Even if a language has been fully documented, all that remains once it vanishes from active use is a fossil skeleton, a scattering of features that the scientist was lucky and astute enough to capture. Linguists may be able to sketch an outline of the forgotten language and fix its place on the evolutionary tree, but little more. "How did people start conversations and talk to babies? How did husbands and wives converse?" Hinton asks. "Those are the first things you want to learn when you want to revitalize the language.
But there is as yet no discipline of "conservation linguistics" as there is for biology. Almost every strategy tried so far has succeeded in some places but failed in others, and there seems to be no way to predict with certainty what will work where. Twenty years ago in New Zealand, Maori speakers set up "language nests, "in which preschoolers were immersed in the native language. Additional Maori-only classes were added as the children progressed through elementary and secondary school. A similar approach was tried in Hawaii, with some success – the number of native speakers has stabilized at 1,000 or so, reports Joseph E. Grimes of SIL International, who is working on Oahu. Students can now get instruction in Hawaiian all the way through university.
One factor that always seems to occur in the demise of a language is that the speakers begin to have collective doubts about the usefulness of language loyalty. Once they start regarding their own language as inferior to the majority language, people stop using it in all situations. Kids pick up on the attitude and prefer the dominant language. In many cases, people don't notice until they suddenly realize that their kids never speak the language, even at home. This is how Cornish and some dialects of Scottish Gaelic is still only rarely used for daily home life in Ireland, 80 years after the republic was founded with Irish as its first official language.
Linguists agree that ultimately, the answer to the problem of language extinction is multilingualism. Even uneducated people can learn several languages, as long as they start as children. Indeed, most people in the world speak more than one tongue, and in places such as Cameroon (279 languages), Papua New Guinea (823) and India (387) it is common to speak three or four distinct languages and a dialect or two as well. Most Americans and Canadians, to the west of Quebec, have a gut reaction that anyone speaking another language in front of them is committing an immoral act. You get the same reaction in Australia and Russia. It is no coincidence that these are the areas where languages are disappearing the fastest. The first step in saving dying languages is to persuade the world's majorities to allow the minorities among them to speak with their own voices.
Questions 27-33
The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-H from the list below.
Write the correct number, i – xi, in boxes 27-33 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
data consistency needed for language
consensus on an initial recommendation for saving dying out languages
positive gains for protection
the minimum requirement for saving a language
The potential threat to minority language
a period when there was an absence of real effort made.
native language programs launched
Lack of confidence in young speakers as a negative factor
Practice in several developing countries
Value of minority language to linguists.
government participation in the language field
Paragraph A
Paragraph B
Paragraph D
Paragraph E
Paragraph F
Paragraph G
Paragraph H
Example: Paragraph C
Questions 34-38
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-F) with opinions or deeds below. Write the appropriate letters A-F in boxes 34-38 on your answer sheet.
Nicholas Ostler
Michael Krauss
Joseph E. Grimes
Sarah G. Thomason
Keneth L. Hale
Douglas H. Whalen
Reported language conservation practice in Hawaii
Predicted that many languages would disappear soon
The experienced process that languages die out personally
Raised language fund in England
Not enough effort on saving until recent work
Questions 39-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 39-40 on your answer sheet.
What is the real result of a master-apprentice program sponsored by The Ford Foundation!
Teach children how to speak
Revive some endangered languages in California
postpone the dying date for some endangered languages
Increase communication between students
What should the majority language speakers do according to the last paragraph?
They should teach their children endangered language in free lessons
They should learn at least four languages
They should show their loyalty to a dying language
They should be more tolerant of the minority language speaker
Which documents could Sam use as proof of her name?
Example passport
1 …………………………….
2 …………………………….
Which could she use as proof of her address?
council tax bill
3 …………………………….
phone bill (fixed line)
4 …………………………….
Questions 5-7
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR NUMBERS for each answer.
Name of bank? Savings Bank
Open which days? Monday-Friday
Opening hours? 5 …………………………….
Where? 6 …………………………….
Free gift? 7 …………………………….
Questions 8-10
Match the places in Questions 8-10 to the appropriate letters A-H on the map.
8 Royal Bank ________
9 Northern Bank. ________
10 National Bank. ________
SECTION 2
Questions 11-14
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Preparing for the interview
What to do
How to do it
Step 1:
Prepare things to take.
Gather all documents, e.g. copies of resume.
Choose 11………………… e.g. designs, drawings, written work.
Step 2:
Get more information.
Check you have pen and paper.
Ask firm for a 12………………………
See profiles at Chamber of Commerce, library.
Step 3: Focus on you and the job.
Contact 13………………….. of this or related firms.
Compare yourself with what is required.
Imagine likely questions and your answers.
Decide how to make up for any 14…………….. you lack
Questions 15-20
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
At the interview
Arrive no more than 15…………………………….before the time of the interview.
After you hear the question, you can 16…………………………….before you reply.
You can 17…………………………….if you don't understand what they're asking you.
Wait for them to offer you the job before you say what 18……………………………. you want.
Learning from the experience will make you more 19…………………………….in future interviews.
Pay attention to your 20…………………………….- it shows you have a positive attitude.
SECTION 3
Questions 21-24
Complete the summary below by writing NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in the spaces provided.
To many employers, academic success and personal development as a result of being at 21…………………………….can be as important as course content, so choose 22…………………………….modules that you may do well in. You should, however, think more carefully about your choice if your course is 23 …………………………….. In this case the course normally includes all the modules necessary for professional training, but if you are in any doubt check with your academic department or the 24…………………………….at the university.
Questions 25-29
Write the appropriate letters A-C against questions 25-29.
Which modules have the following features?
A Applied Chemical Engineering
B Fluid Mechanics
C Chemical Engineering: Science 1
25 developing computer skills …………
26 exemption from part of a module …………
27 assessment by formal examination …………
28 developing speaking and writing skills …………
29 learning through problem-solving ………….
Question 30
30 Which chart shows the percentage of private study time on the Spanish 1A module?
SECTION 4
Questions 31-33
Label the diagram. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 34-36
Choose from letters A-C and write them on your answer sheet.
34 The crater at Acraman is
A nowadays entirely covered by sea water.
B one of the most beautiful on Karth.
C less spectacular than others in Australia.
35 Williams realised what had happened at Acraman when he
A saw pictures of the area taken from above.
B visited Acraman for the first time in 1980.
C noticed a picture of the crater in a textbook.
36 Where was rock from Acraman found?
A Only in the Flinders mountains.
B At several placcs over 300 km from Acraman.
C At a place 500 km from Acraman, but nowhere else.
Questions 37-40
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
37 What made the sea water shake?…………………………….
38 What threw the pebbles into the air?…………………………….
39 What was mixed with silt to form a layer of rock?…………….
40 What shaped the ripples on top of the rock?…………………….
Answer key
driving license
benefit book
insurance certificate
electricity bill
9.30 – 3.30
ground floor
no/ nothing
F
A
C
work samples
job description
employees
experience or skills
ten minutes
take your time
ask for clarification
salary
confident
appearance
university
interesting
vocational
careers service
A
C
B
A
C
C
90,000/ ninety thousand
4 km/ four kilometres
40 km/ forty kilometres
C
A
B
(the) earthquake / shock waves
(the) explosion
sand
(the) (huge) waves
BONUS EXERCISE: GAP-FILLING
The texts below are transcript for your IELTS Listening Practice Test. To make the most out of this transcript, we removed some words from the texts and replaced with spaces. You has to fill each space with the missing word by listening to the audio for this IELTS listening practice test.
Ielts Writing Actual Test in July, 2015 & Band 9 Sample Argumentative Essay – Topic: Advertising
Advertising discourages people from being different individuals by making us want to be and to look the same. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Band 9.0 Sample:
An often debated topic is whether advertising has a major influence on the growing similarity of people's lifestyle in the modern world. Personally, I partly agree with this opinion for a number of reasons.
On the one hand, the power of advertising is undeniable. The growth of the advertising industry has resulted in many people buying products of the same manufacture, which can be seen in the case of consumer goods. Today, the advertising campaigns of multinational companies such as Unilever have been so successful that their products almost dominate the market. Smaller enterprises tend not to be able to compete with these giant market leaders due to their disadvantages of capital poured into advertising programs. Thus, customers are often swayed to buy products of famous brands rather than those made by less well-known companies.
On the other hand, it is also true that people have the tendency to copy others' lifestyles without being affected by advertising. For example, it is valid to argue that many young people are trying to emulate the fashion styles of their idols. Many manage to purchase the same clothes, dye their hair and wear the same perfume as their stars do. People can also turn to their social relations for advice when they need to buy something. For instance, junior citizens usually ask their friends before they come to a final decision on buying a smart phone.
In conclusion, it is true that advertising has bridged the gap between each individual's lifestyle in modern society. However, I believe that it is not the sole factor that contributes to the trend.
(268 words – Thay Vinh IELTS)
Useful Expressions
To dominate something: to control or have a lot of influence over somebody/something, especially in an unpleasant way ==>He tended to dominate the conversation.
Giant market leaders
To sway somebody: to persuade somebody to believe something or do something ==>Don't allow yourself to be swayed by emotion.
To bridge the gap between A and B ==>He always tries to bridge the gap between theory and reality so that his students can write essays without much effort.
1.Do you think it is good to preserve old buildings?
It depends on the building, whether it is worth preserving. Historical monuments, for example, need to be saved because of their cultural significance. On the other hand, if a building is old, ugly and has no importance then I don't see why we should preserve it.
IELTS Speaking Actual tests Jan - May 2020 with suggested answers)
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IELTS Speaking Actual Tests & Suggested Answers written by IELTS teachers aims to help IELTS candidates perform at their best on the big day.
2. Are buildings now better than those in the past? Why?
Yes and no. The facilities are better, rooms are often fully equipped with whatever you may need. And there are lifts and convenient stores so you don't have travel much to get what you want. But these buildings are also bad for the environment; their construction and operation release a lot of waste and heat, which pollute the environment and contribute to global warming.
3. Do you think the government should invest money in preserving old buildings?
If the buildings are really important to the country, yes. If they are well preserved, it will help bring in income that would be spent on the maintenance.
Are you taking the IELTS exam? Are you worried about the writing test, especially the Task 2 essays? Do you know about the different Task types, and how to answer them? We are here to help! This book gives you 15 perfect model essays for the Task 2 Academic Writing Test. Each essay has a task, an essay, and comments from the examiner explaining why it would get Band 9. This book also has a full explanation of the different types of essay you may have to write in the exam, and practice tasks for you to try writing your own essays. We also provide a summary of the 10 most common mistakes that people make in the IELTS writing exam. This may surprise you! By following the advice in this book, you can maximise your chance of getting a high band in IELTS writing, even if your English is not perfect.
Cambridge IELTS Consultants are a team of IELTS trainers and past examiners based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. They have many years experience of preparing students for IELTS at University level, marking the essays and developing course books to guide candidates through the Cambridge IELTS process. They really are the experts!
Introduction from the authors
For many people, the most difficult part of the IELTS Academic exam is the Task 2 essay in the writing test. This is because few people understand the different types of Task 2 essay, and few people take the time to read examples of high quality Task 2 essays before they take the exam. We are here to help! In this book we show you how to analyze the Task 2 question, and we explain the different types of essay you may be asked to write. Most importantly, this book provides you with fifteen examples of Task 2 essays, all written to Band 9 standard. Each essay also has examiner’s comments, which explain why the writing is Band 9 level. At the end of the book, there are a number of practice tasks for you to use. You should analyze the tasks and decide on which type they are Then try to write your own essay in forty minutes, as you would in the exam. There is a key to the practice tasks, and also a summary of the ten most common mistakes in IELTS academic writing. Make sure you avoid these mistakes!
If you need a dictionary while reading this book, we recommend the free Cambridge Dictionaries Online from Cambridge University Press.
Don't just trust to luck in your IELTS exam – the key is expert advice!
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Mutual funds: Exiting equity now may lead to missing out on any recovery subsequently As of February 29, 2020; equities outperformed gold over the trailing 10-, 15- and 20-years, delivering annualised 10.39%, 13.89% and 12.0% respectively compared with 8.16%, 12.59% and 11.49% respectively delivered by gold.
Expenditure rejig: Q1 spending curbs to help govt save Rs 1.4 lakh crore Going by the trend in recent years, the Centre was estimating to collect about Rs 2.45 lakh crore in net tax receipts in Q1FY21, but the actual collections will be very low under the current environment, officials admit.
Your Money: Digital payments, e-KYC make buying insurance, filing claims easy during Coronavirus lockdown Most companies are encouraging their existing customers to use digital channels as there has been a surge of such requirements from customers along with scarcity of service personnel at insurance offices.
COVID-19 impact: IMF slashes India's growth forecast for FY21 to 1.9% On the same day, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a nation-wide lockdown to May 3, investment bank Barclays trimmed its growth forecast for the country to 0% for calendar year 2020 from its earlier projection of 2.5%.
One-time loan restructuring, fire sale of inventory: Deepak Parekh's prescription for real estate They must partner with developers to ensure easier travel and enhanced insurance cost to bring migrant labour back to the construction sites.
Domino effects of COVID-19: Social distancing constrains growth With COVID-19 cases escalating and the lockdown extended, brace for a sharp economic cost and more policy easing
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